One Day as Jabba's Slave Girl
by Darth Yuthura
Summary: Princess Leia endures the humiliation of being Jabba's favorite slave girl. Stripped publicly, wearing a gold bikini, and on a short leash, Leia has only to hold out for a day in the hellish captivity of Jabba's service. She learns how hard that can be.
1. Trapped

I happened to notice that there haven't really been any fan fictions submitted that describe how Princess Leia got her infamous metal bikini and how she endured the experience of being Jabba's slave up until Luke showed up and saved everyone. That's exactly what this will eventually become. Starting from the point when she releases Han from the carbonite up until they're safely aboard the Millennium Falcon, this is Leia's story. I've already got a number of chapters lined up, so this definitely will cover a lot of content you don't see in the movie. This story will follow a believable plot which could reasonably fit within the movie, maybe with a few changes that aren't perfectly canon. And it will be rated teen, although the sexual content will boarder on mature.

I'm sure some Star Wars fans have imagined the scene when Leia got the metal bikini and maybe what happened in the day or so after she had been captured. You might say this is how I imagined it. The first part will have an impact on later chapters, so you might want to read the first chapter. The more interesting part of the story starts in chapter 2 and will continue until the end, when Leia and Han discuss past mistakes they've made. I'm also going to throw in some cracks about the metal bikini, especially considering Carrie Fisher's comments on it. Let's just say that Leia will have just as much trouble with it as Carrie Fisher had.

Comments and reviews are greatly appreciated and will influence how quickly updates come. Praise is good, but I am definitely looking for ways to improve my work. Enjoy!

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Trapped

Nearly a year had passed since Cloud City, and Leia still felt trapped. Although she wasn't the one who had been imprisoned in a carbonite tomb, she often wished their positions had been reversed. She wished it was her that Vader chose to test in the carbon freeze chamber, and that Han would have been in her position. For if it were Han coming to the rescue, Leia knew that the scoundrel would conjure up some insane plan that no one in his right mind would attempt. And Han somehow would have pulled it off... as he always had.

Unfortunately, Leia didn't have the luxury of waiting to be rescued, for the prison which trapped her was one of her own guilt. Despite her every desire to rescue Han from Jabba in the last year, after having failed to stop Boba Fett on two occasions, other matters in the galaxy emerged of which took greater priority. Still an important figure within the Alliance, Leia knew that she couldn't just drop her responsibilities so she could rescue one man. Much more was at stake than one life, even if it were Han's.

But that did little to ease the pain in her heart. Leia couldn't remember the last time she had a restful sleep since that terrible day. His voice continued to echo in her mind. She could not escape that moment. Far from the uncaring smuggler she mistook him for on the Death Star, he turned out to be one of the most honorable people she would ever come to know. In its own way, that moment on Cloud City was the first time she felt a loss greater than of Alderaan.

And despite her best hope that time could ease that pain, the sight of Han's likeness etched upon his carbonite prison only seemed to torment her further... some wounds didn't heal with time. For Han wasn't dead, but Leia sometimes almost wished that he were... so that she could accept his loss and then move on. To lose Han in that manner was like having a knife embedded in her flesh and having to leave it alone until she knew it was safe to remove it. And despite her better judgment, Leia felt that she couldn't wait any longer. The plan was for her and Lando to wait for Luke before either of them acted, but Leia didn't know how else to keep her sanity while she stared an opportunity right in the eye. She was determined to save Han the first chance she got.

Leia knew that releasing him from the carbonite didn't follow the plan they all agreed to follow, but just being in Han's presence again seemed to overwhelm her mind. It became unbearable to just wait when she knew she could save him. So while everyone else slept, Leia graced the hallways of Jabba's palace.

Hidden behind the guise of the bounty hunter known as Boushh, She carefully navigated a clear path from an exit all the way back to the throne room. With each passing step, her anxiety and her excitement grew. Having found no guards standing between Han and his freedom, Leia entered the throne room. Carefully scanning the chamber, she wanted to confirm beyond any doubt that their path was clear before committing herself.

Suddenly she heard a loud clatter against the back of her helmet. To her shock and surprise, Leia realized she had run into a set of decorative chimes dangling from the ceiling. The helmet offered great visibility for the wearer in the low light and infrared spectrum, but its peripheral vision was horrible. She desperately extended her hand to grab hold of the pieces, as to stop them from rattling.

Having realized her own anxiety, Leia froze where she stood. Fearing that the noise she had created may have drawn unwanted attention, the young woman braced herself for whatever came next. If those chimes had alerted anyone in the palace... she heard nothing. Very gently and quietly, she sighed in relief, only to turn her focus upon the dreaded block of carbonite suspended on the far side of the chamber.

She took only the briefest of moments to acknowledge Han's presence, almost as if to silently tell him that she was there. Leia went for the control panel on the wall, lowering the block to the floor. When the carbonite prison hit the floor with a hard thud, it suddenly slammed into the wall with an even louder clash. Leia realized she had made a mistake, but had committed herself to saving Han. From the enhanced audio input of her helmet's ear piece, she heard commotion.

Although she couldn't make out exactly she stirred up in that moment, the sounds weren't much louder than a normal conversation. Leia almost believed she heard repressed voices, whispering, and shushing noises from just outside the chamber... but she was determined not to let this opportunity get passed her. If they were quick, both she and Han could escape before anyone realized what had happened.

Having been briefed by Lando on configuring the life support controls to bring the victim out of carbon freeze hibernation, Leia punched in the right keys and stepped away. She watched a screen which flashed red to indicate Han's heart rate... pulsing ever so slowly. Leia watched as Han's heart slowly came back to life, stimulated by the prison's life support system. Lando said that if the thawing process hadn't started within 30 seconds, that it would abort and put the victim back into hibernation.

Watching as the screen pulsed ever so slowly made Leia's heart ache. If Han's vitals couldn't be restored within 30 seconds... her anxiety grew with each passing second. If the life support couldn't restore Han, then the only chance of safely reviving Han would have meant getting him to a Republic hospital. And that would have taken days. She eagerly watched in the hope that his heart would start beating on its own.

After the seventh pulse, Leia saw only that green screen again. Just as she was about to close her eyes in despair, the screen turned red again, almost a full second before the last pulse. Her excitement only growing as the pulse rate steadily escalated, Leia sighed with great relief, for Han was soon to be free of the carbonite.

Once the computer determined his vitals were stable, everything after that happened automatically. Leia stepped back and watched as Han's figure began to turn red, a sign that the carbonite casing had begun breaking down. Leia suddenly began to fear, as the red glow became ever brighter to the eye, that the thawing process might inflict serious burns upon its victim. Leia feared that the Empire might not have considered the injuries of the thawing process, as they merely sought a means to freeze someone alive.

But as the red glow diminished, and the carbonite dissolved, there was Han... alive and well. As he seemingly jumped right at her, Leia caught him, lowering the Correllian smuggler to the floor. Although she had wanted to embrace him right there, Han actually proved so heavy that both he and Leia met with the floor. Sitting up, with most of Han's weight upon her legs, Leia held him in her arms at long last.

It didn't surprise her to find him shivering, as his body temperature remained far below normal. From his disorientation, Han wrestled to get away. Leia wanted to assure him not to panic, having forgotten to remove her helmet. "It's alright, Han. You're free of the carbonite. It's disorientation from hibernation sickness, it'll pass."

"I can't see." He expressed with great concern.

"Don't worry. Your eyesight will return within a few days." She told him.

"Where am I?"

"Jabba's palace." She answered.

With her head just behind Han's shoulder, his face rubbed up against the helmet. Unable to see, he instinctively extended his arm out in a vein attempt to identify his rescuer. Finding no one he recognized, Han naturally asked who it was.

Leia smiled from under the mask with great anticipation. With her right hand free, she grabbed the helmet and leaned her head forward, somewhat letting gravity do the work of slipping it off. Setting the mask on the floor right next to her, Leia realized that they were both free. Leaning her chin upon Han's shoulder, she answered gladly. "Someone who loves you."

"Leia!" he exclaimed, her voice like a glimmer of light at the end of a long tunnel. With her head so close to his, Han twisted himself around and shared a brief, but very intimate kiss.

Leia wished so much to savor his lips for longer, but Han was just as quick to break the kiss. Despite how she felt in that moment, the young princess accepted that it genuinely wasn't the best time for love. She had waited for almost a year... and could wait a little while longer. Leia quickly slid herself back and wrapped his arm over her opposite shoulder. "Come on; let's get you out of here."

Despite his weakened state, Han didn't need too much getting to his feet. It gave Leia something of a minor relief, as Han was too heavy to carry out all on her own. Unfortunately, just as Leia learned to smile again, her newfound pinnacle of joy quickly plunged into the most extreme depths of horror.

Freezing where they stood, Han and Leia only heard the sound of a deep, dreadful chuckle that echoed throughout the chamber. "What's that?" Han asked.

Billowing another laugh, they both came to the unpleasant realization that it was Jabba's voice, although it came as a greater shock to Leia. Convinced there could have been no way for her to miss a one-ton slug, nor any of his palace guards, it truly came as an unwelcome surprise to discover a hidden door installed behind Jabba's throne.

Almost at the same time that the chamber lights came alive did a massive slab of stone slide open from behind the space where Jabba's throne resided. It was not long before at least a dozen palace guards poured in through the secret passage, preventing their escape. Only after Jabba's throne rolled in through the passage did Han turn to confront him... facing him as though he were able to see.

"Jabba, I had to say that I was surprised when I realized you still had a bounty on me. I recall that my debt to you had been dealt with in full. That's usually when you're supposed to call off a bounty, isn't it?" Han began, somewhat absent of any deserved anger towards Jabba.

Jabba snickered, seemingly proud of his terrible deeds. "Perhapse, but I'm not like most debtors, am I?"

Han didn't care so much whether the bounty on his head were fair or not; the last thing anyone in the galaxy wanted was to be left on bad terms with Jabba. "It doesn't have to go this way, Jabba. I'm still your best smuggler... even when I lost cargo, you got back everything in full from me. You have nothing to gain from this. If you still had a problem, we could have worked it out."

As Jabba began chortling at the Correllian smuggler's attempts at reason, his mind was already made up. "It's too late for that, Solo. Although you are a born smuggler, I'm afraid that both you and your companions have since interfered with my other affairs all too many times. I have a reputation to keep and it looks very bad for me if I were to just let you slide for it. Suddenly everyone else will be demanding much more than they deserve. My other clients will start thinking they're you... it's business."

Han tried to confront Jabba more directly, but a pair of guards had held him back. "This is bad business, Jabba! Don't give me that!"

Laughing, Jabba simply instructed his guards to take Han away.

Despite being dragged away by two guards, Han desperately pealed to the only thing which Jabba seemed to care for... money. "Don't make another expensive mistake, Jabba! You know I'm good for it! You're throwing away a fortune here, don't be a fool!"

After having just gotten Han back, Leia watched again as another example of evil and villainy exacted his wrath upon the man she came to love. Although he had been taken away, she had every expectation to see him again. For Han had many friends, one of whom was a Jedi. And although she had failed to free him, she knew their rescue operation was far from over.

Unfortunately, that did very little to comfort Leia in that moment. She had anticipated that she'd be in Han's arms that very night, but all that had been deprived in an instant. Of all the thoughts racing through her mind in that moment, perhaps the one which affected her the most was a sense of disappointment. Leia had gotten so far ahead of herself that she let her personal feelings get in the way of her judgment. And rather than wait another day or two as one of Jabba's guests, she would have instead spent that time in a dungeon. And having lost her cover as one of Jabba's favored bounty hunters, Leia had gone from being an asset to a liability.

But Leia didn't have much time to think about Han, nor even the next stage of their rescue mission. To her confusion, only Han was ordered to the dungeon. Leia turned her head around and wondered why she wasn't to accompany him. Jabba gestured to his guards and ordered them to bring her to him.

With two guards forcing her forward, Leia certainly didn't expect to be lifted onto the throne in front of the Hutt. As the guards gave her to Jabba, she quickly realized that she wasn't destined for a prison cell. A part of her knew it was futile, but Leia denounced him. "We have powerful friends. You will regret this."

Almost amused by her threat, Jabba just took her upon his throne and returned her warning with a sardonic reply. "I'm sure."

It was then that Leia realized that nothing she could do or say would have any impact on Jabba. He clearly underestimated Luke's Jedi abilities, otherwise he might have headed her warning. Leia wished she could take comfort in knowing that Luke would soon be there to save them, but after having a slimy tongue brushed against her face, Leia shuddered convulsively. She really REALLY would have preferred that Jabba hadn't called her bluff.

C-3PO may only have been a droid, but even he could appreciate Leia's feelings in that moment. "Oh... I can't bear to watch." Although he didn't feel emotion like an organic being, he knew that what Jabba intended to do would only hurt Leia.

If the interest of the Hutt wasn't bad enough, Leia heard a small, sadistic laugh from a creature that Jabba kept on his throne beside him. The Kowakian monkey-lizard known as Salacious Crumb was little more than a pet that Jabba kept for the sole purpose of amusing himself at least once a day. Much like his master, Crumb had a sadistic sense of humor when it came to the suffering of others.

Leia soon came to regret what she had done. If she had simply laid low and waited for Luke to arrive... but that was a mistake she couldn't take back. And she came to accept she had no means to escape the consequences that were soon to follow. What she dreaded most was facing the realization that her problems had only just begun.


	2. Exposed

Okay, here's where the story REALLY gets interesting. I'll admit that I stretched a few characters a bit, but I really wanted to put Leia in a position where she falls into despair. Leia is a strong woman, but such a terrible experience would be traumatic to anyone. This is just the initial shock, but she'll get a hold of herself before long.

Not to give too much away, I think this particular chapter may violate the teen rating I gave this story. If this chapter goes too far, please let me know and I'll tone it down a bit. The rest of the story will be much more tame than this. If anyone can think of ways to improve this, please let me know. I'm not one to reject a good idea just because it wasn't mine.

PS: I know Lyn Me isn't Jabba's servant, so her part in this chapter doesn't conform to Star Wars canon. I don't own Star Wars or any of its characters.

Enjoy!

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Exposed

Jabba was renowned for hosting some of the most lively parties in the galaxy. Often he'd just randomly throw one together because there hadn't been reason to celebrate in a long while. He made reasons to celebrate, to gather his friends, and to show off his power. Although many of his guests were already asleep after celebrating that previous night, Jabba demanded everyone in the palace be awoken and invited to his throne room for a special event.

As the minutes went by, Leia could only watch as events unfolded before her. Having been put aside and ignored for the time being, Leia knew that Jabba was planning something very special for her. What Jabba called special usually turned out to be something of the most dreadful nature to others. Leia knew exactly what was going to come, and she braced herself for it. But she hated the waiting even more.

It was something of an irony that in all the times she faced torture and death, Leia had never been violated as a woman. After being captured by Darth Vader, she endured at least a dozen torture sessions with him and an interrogation droid. No one had ever used sexual persuasion on her... probably because pain seemed a lot more effective. She dreaded the thought of spreading her legs and being violated, yet waiting for it to come seemed much worse. And when she wished him to just get it over with, Jabba was only too thrilled to oblige.

After taking a moment to examine his new pet, Jabba found it difficult to get a full appreciation for Leia under that suit of armour. "I must admit you had a good disguise... would've fooled even me. But you didn't cover your tracks too well, princess. Now that everyone knows, you might as well remove that ridiculous disguise now. Why don't you let everyone see who you really are?"

Bib Fortuna tapped Jabba on the shoulder. "Master, shall I have her fitted with more... proper attire?"

Before he could answer, Salacious Crumb started screeching in his native language. Between Bib and Salacious, Jabba twisted his head to address Salacious. Crawling up the body of the great Hutt, the little creature took a position near Jabba's ear and whispered his suggestion.

Leia couldn't make out anything the creature said, but they both started arguing over what to do with her. It seemed that Jabba wasn't all too interested in the idea, but then started chuckling. When Salacious looked at her, he laughed devilishly with anticipation.

Jabba gave Leia another malicious look and then rubbed the side of her face, as if to comfort her. She shrugged it off, but Jabba twisted her around and sat her upon the cushion that had once belonged to Oola. Rubbing her shoulders as if to prominently show off his newest possession, Jabba finally answered Fortuna's question. "That won't be necessary, Bib. I have something better in mind for the princess, and I happen to be in the mood to celebrate. I would like for you to have all my guests in the palace awoken. Let them know that we'll be hosting another party... right now. Tell everyone that I'm personally extending an invitation and expect them to come. Those that miss this will be in for a great disappointment. For everyone here... this is cause for celebration, so celebrate!"

Only after Jabba made such an announcement did many in the chamber break out cheering... although most had no idea what exactly the Great Jabba had been planning for them.

Leia found herself on the verge of tears, but realized that she had too much integrity to just break down in despair. The act which lead to her capture was a mistake, but the young woman was determined to keep her mind on the task at hand. Han was still a prisoner and in need of rescue. Unfortunately so was she, but despite what had just happened, Leia was determined not to give up until both she and Han were in each other's arms.

Although her situation changed drastically, she was still an important part of the mission. It did give her some small measure of comfort to know Han was safe, at least for the moment. And for what little time they had together, at least it was enough that Han knew she hadn't given up on him... somewhat alleviating the guilt she felt.

As Jabba released her, he gestured his closest two guards to take Leia into the center of the room. For some strange reason, she actually felt quite confident in herself. After having withstood dozens of interrogation sessions with Darth Vader himself, she had no doubt that Jabba couldn't be any worse. And unlike her time on the Death Star, she wouldn't endure the ordeal alone.

The guard on her right side just happened to be Lando. Upon seeing that familiar glint in his eyes, she somehow managed a smile. Even in the most dreadful of moments, just having a friend nearby... made it much easier to endure. The most that Lando could do was give her a friendly nod, as he couldn't risk exposing himself as well. As long as they had at least one person on the inside, Leia felt they still stood a good chance for rescuing Han.

Once Leia had been moved to the center of the floor, Jabba laughed sadistically and then announced his orders so that his gathering audience could watch. "Guards, remove that silly disguise. I want to see my new servant for all her beauty."

Everyone else in the throne room roared in approval, save two. Leia, for obvious reasons. Lando also couldn't say he was fond of the situation. As any human male might have, he certainly was interested in seeing Leia without clothes, but certainly not like that. Some thoughts were best left to the imagination.

She and Lando briefly looked at one another, both equally uncomfortable with what they had to do. Leia originally figured that Lando was the kind who'd have been all to happy to oblige, but she then saw a look in his eyes that was completely absent of any enthusiasm. As the Gamorrean on the left began by removing the shoulder strap, pulling it over her head, Lando hesitated. Leia looked at him and nodded, silently giving him permission to proceed. Actually the movement of her head was more like trembling than actual nodding, but Lando saw she wanted him to follow through with Jabba's order.

A more primordial part of him might have admitted that his heart pounded with anticipation, maybe even that those were the best damned orders he'd ever received. However Leia was a friend, and the last thing he would have wanted was to violate a friend. That certainly sapped all the pleasure from it.

The bounty hunter disguise Leia wore consisted of an outer layer of thick armour protecting her chest underlined with a kevlar jacket. The metal backpack and the armour plates made up one piece that rested upon her shoulders. That was removed first and tossed to the floor. The jacket soon followed.

Although Leia appeared to have a very delicate figure, even with armour, its removal gave a much clearer indication of how slender she really was. Although still fully clothed, Leia's ears echoed the growing approval of the spectators who came to watch as she was stripped of her garb. Her torment grew with each layer they removed. She wondered how such people could take great joy at her expense. Leia almost hated them almost as much as she hated Jabba.

When the other guard sought to remove the final layer of her garment, he was far from gentle. She resisted the Gamorrean and pulled herself away. "Back off!" Leia screamed, delivering a powerful blow to the Gamorrean's snout.

To her surprise, the guard didn't squeal in pain, as she had hoped. It was as if her fist didn't even hurt him, but it certainly made him angry. He went at her again, aggressively ripping away at her garb.

Leia screamed and drew back again, this time tripping and landing on her butt just in front of Jabba's throne. From the commotion, Leia didn't realize that her rebellious attitude only proved all the much more amusing to Jabba. He had been laughing with that guttural voice she really started to detest.

When he came at her again, Lando, determined to protect Leia, threw himself in front of the charging Gamorrean. And although he easily overpowered Lando, it was Jabba's hand that halted him. The room soon fell silent, broken only by the high-pitched laughter of Salacious.

Jabba addressed his Gamorrean servant. "Now now, I don't want my property harmed... unless I'm the one to order it." Leaning as far forward as the Hutt could, Jabba had extended one of his short, stubby arms in a vein effort to reach Leia, who sat just beyond his reach on the floor. Frustrated that he couldn't grab her, Jabba sat himself back up and simply ordered Leia to stand before him.

With her shirt torn across the midriff, Leia held it together as she stood up and faced Jabba again. Swallowing her pride, Leia just did as the Hutt demanded.

"My my, you are a feisty one." Jabba seemed quite fond of his new possession, as he often enjoyed breaking new slaves. He certainly had higher expectations of Leia than he did from his previous slave girl, Oola. He also liked demonstrating his ability to control people, especially in coercing powerful individuals like Leia and treating them as he would a common slave. "If you should feel more inclined to obey my orders, then you may do it yourself. It's your choice, but those robes are to be removed... now."

As Leia looked behind her, she realized that it was all about public humiliation. Jabba simply wanted to put on a show of his authority in front of his guests, which was what Leia had to do. Terrible as it sounded, Leia reluctantly accepted that he was in control... at least for the time being. And it wasn't like she really had a choice.

Starting again with her belt, the gesture brought much excitement and cheer from the guests who'd gathered to see Jabba's new pet. Reluctantly, she continued by slipping off her boots and trousers. It was then that she twisted her head around and looked back at the audience, who's cheers and applause actually died down as more of herself became visible. It was then that she noticed that many of them weren't human. Apparently many didn't find alien species especially alluring. She didn't know it at the time, but the majority of them were applauding more for Jabba than for Leia. Somehow both his guards and guests held great reverence towards people who possessed the power to control others through fear.

Watching Lando as he refused to take any pleasure in her humiliation, it gave Leia some small comfort to know at least one other person took no joy from her torment. Actually Lando was rather excited at what he saw, somewhat ashamed for taking any level of pleasure from such a sick display by Jabba. Lando most certainly wished Leia were somewhere else, but it didn't stop him from staring. It wasn't like he would pass up a chance when it presented itself... of course he displayed no satisfaction of any kind to Leia.

Having removed the tattered remains of her shirt, she was down only to her undergarment. Obviously they had to go as well, but Leia needed a moment to prepare herself emotionally for facing Jabba in that condition. When he made a hand gesture, it wasn't hard to figure out what he wanted.

She just sighed and then unfastened the straps to the top piece. It enticed Jabba to watch her bra fall to the floor, the lower piece following in short order. Brushing them aside with her foot, Leia gave Jabba a sour look and placed her hands upon her hips.

Although completely naked, Leia didn't attempt to cover herself. She didn't want to give Jabba the sense that he had humiliated her. Although that was far from true, Leia maintained her dignity and allowed Jabba to gaze upon her. Only her body was left fully exposed, but she wouldn't let him see her mind as well. Leia displayed nothing to indicate her embarrassment.

From the sound of Jabba's chuckling, he seemed quite satisfied with his new possession. "What a lovely human you are, my dear. You've exceeded my expectations... that's not easy." He waved his hand and barked out another order. "Now why don't you turn yourself around and allow my guests to have a look at you?"

Rolling her eyes at him, Leia dropped her arms to her sides, rotated a hundred and eighty degrees, and her heart sank when she realized that she stood fully exposed before so many people. She subtly positioned her hands in front, just enough to conceal her crotch without making the gesture too overt.

Lando probably felt more awkward than Leia, but certainly didn't pass up the chance to satisfy his curiosity. Seeing her like that... he hated himself for taking such a perverted pleasure, yet couldn't withdraw his eyes from something so beautiful. Leia certainly turned out to be everything he'd imagined.

Everyone else roared their approval, but just as quickly fell silent as Jabba raised his palm. Just the movement of his hands seemed as commanding as his voice. "My friends, I would like you to welcome Princess Leia Organa. Daughter of former Republic Senator, Bail Organa of Alderaan. Heir to the once-proud Ancient House of Organa. Sole survivor of that house. Renowned leader of the Alliance to Restore the Republic. Rebel. Traitor to the Empire..."

As Jabba kept listing the deeds she was known for, Leia twisted her head around, realizing that Jabba had known about her since she first entered his palace. It allowed her some little comfort, knowing her sad attempt to free Han hadn't cost their mission. Unfortunately it also meant they grossly underestimated Jabba's resources.

Her eyes on him, Jabba extended his arm and gestured Leia back to the throne. "Unfortunate that she destroyed my favorite decoration, I've decided to replace Captain Solo with someone better." He patted his hand upon the empty cushion in front, gesturing Leia to sit on it.

Again, Leia reluctantly obeyed, climbing onto the throne, and perching herself upon the cushion. Not even allowed a moment to sit up straight, Jabba grabbed the poor soul and pulled her against his soft body. She struggled to escape his grasp, but even Jabba's feeble arms were strong enough to keep Leia firmly pinned where he wanted her.

Cuddling her, placing his hand to rub the underside of her neck, Jabba nestled her in his arms. "I will give the princess a great honor. Since poor Oola had to be put down, I've been in need of a new personal servant. Twi'leks make great dancers, but I'm not looking for another dancer. I want a princess, and one just so happened to stumble into my little trap. I've arranged a celebration for this event, in honor of my new servant. Royalty certainly deserves a momentous ceremony... and I intend to celebrate all night." He then pointed to his musical group, who had since been setting up their instruments. "Start the music! Something exciting! Bartenders, break out the drinks! I don't want anyone in this palace to miss this occasion!"

It was only then that Jabba finally released Leia of his slimy clutches. The young woman just sat in horror as deafening applause overwhelmed her senses. It got even worse when Salacious crept up from behind and latched onto her hair. Leia twisted her head around and brushed the obnoxious little creature away. He withdrew and got just beyond Leia's reach. "If you ever touch me again, you little gargoyle...!"

As Leia extended herself in an effort to strangle Salacious, Jabba grabbed her to keep both his pets apart. As the monkey-lizard started laughing again, Jabba used his tail to whip Salacious off of the throne. Plopping onto the floor, Salacious began protesting. It was then that Jabba made it explicitly clear to him that he wasn't to touch Leia again... not without explicit permission.

Salacious responded, but Leia again couldn't make out his language. When Jabba answered, she got some sense as to how her life was going to be from then on. "Yes, but this one is special. And your typical behavior won't be likely to provide any amusement with her. Besides, I have my own ways of harassing the princess, as you shall see."

Curling herself into a ball, Leia brought her knees up to cover her breasts, wrapped her arms around her legs, and was desperate to block everything out. As Salacious laughed again and climbed back onto the throne, she started imagining the terrible existence she might have been doomed to live for the rest of her life. From her convulsive shaking and the tears in her eyes, there was little doubt she ever had a more humiliating moment in her life.

Leia knew how to endure torture and she had grown accustomed to living with the threat of death, but she certainly never considered _THIS._ As Jabba pulled her back into his arms and brushed his grotesque tongue against her bare back, Leia wished more than anything to have been condemned to a cold dungeon. Even the company of a few guards seeking to make her scream in agony seemed more appealing than living in the abhorrent comfort of Jabba's arms.

As Jabba's music group exploded into a song, it startled her into perking up her head, allowing Jabba another chance to grab her shoulders and pull the young princess against his body. Leia's breasts were left exposed again, but she made no attempt to cover herself again. In leaving herself exposed, Leia felt it showed more dignity than pointlessly conceal what little she could with her arms.

Jabba hovered over her and stroked her abdomen, appreciating the delicate feel of her flesh. After having her clothes removed, Leia began to shake. Between Jabba's saliva and her own perspiration, her skin glistened under the lights. She began to quiver from the most bitter cold and gruesome captivity she's ever endured.

The Hutt breathed very sensually at her presence, finding her terror most alluring. Unfortunately he had much more in store for the enslaved Leia. "Now now, princess. Royalty such as you deserves something more appropriate to wear than a suit of armour."

Leia retorted, "Let me guess: nothing?"

Jabba laughed, all while rubbing her shoulders to give her that false sense of comfort again. "No, of course not. I'm sure that a blend of silks and precious metals are more what you're used to, so that's exactly what you'll get. I've had one of my servants sent to fetch your new attire, something that even a princess would find suitable." He leaned forward and whispered into her ear. "Now why don't you thank me for being such a considerate master?"

Leia twisted her head around and made an exaggerated, but very sour smile at him. She didn't believe a word he said, but she did exactly as what he ordered. "Thank-you."

When she attempted to turn her head away, he took Leia firmly by the chin and forced her to look him in the eye again. "Thank-you, my Master." He ordered her to speak.

This time, Leia spoke again with less hostility in her voice. She understood that Jabba genuinely was in control and that the best option was just to yield and do as he demanded. "Thank-you, my Master." From the sound of Jabba's breathing, Leia could only assume that it meant affection from him. His hand went from her chin and rubbed it along the side of her face. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath so that she didn't have to inhale the terrible fumes from his gaping maw.

Jabba savored Leia and handled her very affectionately for a long moment. "You are quite a specimen, princess. I regret not taking you when you first stepped foot in my palace. I really wished you hadn't freed Captain Solo of the carbonite... I know not what to do with him now."

Almost relieved that Jabba had brought up business, Leia saw an opportunity to get her mind back onto the mission... anything other than that! "You knew it was me. Why didn't you just capture me when I first walked in?"

"I wanted to see how your plan was going to unfold. You surprised me in that you managed to release Captain Solo from the carbonite without killing him. Clearly you had some help with the life support controls of the carbon freeze matrix. By the time that I realized what you were doing... I wanted to see how your plan was going to unfold. But like I said, I expected much more from you, princess."

She actually managed to smile with at least the vaguest hint of defiance. Leia was desperate to escape, even if she had to buy her freedom and everyone else's. "I don't suppose you'd be interested in talking ransom? You know we're good for it."

Jabba rubbed the side of her face for his own enjoyment, stoking Leia and lightly pinching her cheek, the Hutt enjoyed taunting her. "Tired of me already? No, I think I'll keep you, princess. You see, I paid a considerable fortune to buy Captain Solo's life." Looking at the piece of carbonite on the far side of the chamber, Jabba was quite disappointed to see the empty indentation of which he felt Han belonged. "I wouldn't get off my throne to pick up a pile of money if it were left on the floor right in front of me... I mean if I actually could reach down and pick it up." He chuckled.

"If credits don't matter to you, then why didn't you pay the 50,000 I demanded for Chewbacca?" Leia asked.

The Hutt continued his sadistic chuckle and released Leia from his clutches, allowing her sit facing the crowd in front. He then went to stroking her hair and brushing a hand down her bare back. "I'm a Hutt. That's what we do. Most of my kind could only dream to build an empire as vast and wealthy as what I control, but when you reach the pinnacle of the galaxy... you lose an important piece of yourself."

Leia twisted her head around as Jabba went about discussing his life of crime. For whatever it was worth... she sought to take any advantage Jabba allowed of her. She may have been a prisoner, but Leia was determined escape. And anything he revealed could potentially have been used against him.

"I remember a time when I was only starting my new criminal empire, when reaping a mere 500 credits on a business transaction quite excited me. A very pitiful amount compared to most of the transactions I make today. As the years passed, I began assigning more and more tasks to other people and eventually I found I had more credits than I could ever spend in a lifetime... being financially secure, making even more profit was no longer fun. The only amusement I ever get from business anymore is when I cheat my adversaries. And that's exactly what I did to you, princess."

Leia couldn't help noticing the irony of Jabba's greatest success ultimately siphoning all the joy he got from his criminal dealings. There was no sympathy at all; it just disgusted her. If Jabba had simply ceased his criminal dealings, he would still have had enough blood money for whatever guilty pleasures he desired, yet he seemed more interested in ruining other lives. Such a sadistic sense of pleasure being all that would satisfy Jabba... how could such a horrid creature exist?

Leia turned her head away again. "So in the end, your criminal dealings have only made life miserable..." Brushing away his arm, Leia noticed Lando staring from amongst the crowd, and then covered her breasts. "...for everyone."

Jabba chuckled again, somewhat at her comment; but more because he had another surprise waiting for Leia. He had sent Lyn Me, one of his twi'lek servants, to retrieve a special box and deliver it to the throne room. Lyn had since been standing by her master's throne with a box in her arms. She had been patiently waiting for Jabba to acknowledge her presence.

Jabba finally waved his hand at Lyn and directed the twi'lek to give it to Leia. "Miserable? No, the last thing I would want is to make my faithful servants miserable. Which is why I had Lyn Me bring some more suitable attire for you, my princess."

As Lyn set the box on the throne right beside Leia, the twi'lek just took a step back and awaited her master's next command. Leia just stared at the box and grimaced at Jabba's offering. She knew that whatever was inside... she wasn't going to like it. Unfortunately Leia couldn't help wondering if maybe there were something at least half decent inside. Her hopes weren't high, but whatever was inside seemed better than nothing at all.

As she twisted her head around to look Jabba in the eye, he shrugged his stub arms. "Well even a princess deserves something better to wear than the air around her. This is a special outfit that even royalty such as yourself might be happy to wear." He chuckled and gestured to his twi'lek servant. "It's worth more than what I paid for Lyn. And if you don't want it, she'd be envious to have it."

As Leia continued staring at the box, she realized it was better just to satisfy her curiosity and see for herself what exactly he wanted her to wear. The decorative casing in itself did suggest something expensive inside, and the box was rather heavy from what she could tell. Upon removing the cover and laying her eyes upon what had been inside, Leia found exactly what Jabba described. It was silk and adorned with gold... an outfit that only royalty could afford, but certainly not what they would ever choose to wear.

Jabba laughed when he saw her expression.


	3. An Outfit Worthy of a Princess

Here's chapter three. Leia's infamous gold bikini in all its glory. I just wanted to write one chapter on it simply because it's become an icon for star wars fans and geeks everywhere. The first part will have some special significance later, but there'll be more in the next chapter on that. So I don't spoil anything, I'm putting my author's notes at the end. I don't own Star Wars or any of its characters.

Enjoy!

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An Outfit Worthy of a Princess

As the party continued, Jabba took a sadistic pleasure in using Leia as the star attraction for the evening. She was to entertain his guests. The Hutt took great pride in showing off his possessions. Most of the species who served as guards didn't seem to appreciate Leia's beauty as Han might have, but they did seem to appreciate the way Jabba liked to show off his possessions.

Leia again stood in the center of the room as Lyn Me and Greeata, another of Jabba's servants, assembled her outfit. The outfit of Jabba's choosing took a surprisingly long time to be put together. As Leia looked down on the thing which served to adorn her womanhood, it seemed to bring back a piece of her childhood as well.

The experience reminded her of another time when she had been forced to stand perfectly still while servants tended to her appearance. Maybe those were her aunts... Leia couldn't quite determine which ones a twi'lek and a rodian reminded her more of.

But she pictured herself like a young and wild little girl... glowering as any child would in her position. Leia remembered how her aunts often clad her in adorable dresses... ones that she naturally hated. If that wasn't bad enough, the servants just kept tampering with her garb. What should normally have only taken a brief moment often took half an hour.

As Lyn Me began braiding her hair into a ponytail, the memory only became more vivid. She remembered there had been one aunt who spent as much time doing her hair as it took the others to get those damned dresses on. At least a dozen times, her aunt stroked her hair with a brush, only to find another tangle. Leia remembered the way tangles hurt, and the way she reacted when her aunt found one. For better or worse, Leia was determined not to behave like that foolish young girl she once had been.

For the simplicity of the slave bikini she wore, it proved remarkably difficult to assemble. It was absolutely unlike anything she'd ever worn in her life. Certainly it was just as aggravating to get into as any of her other garb... and that was where the similarities ended.

If that wasn't bad enough, one of the servants brought in a full-sized mirror so that Leia could watch as she was transformed into a pleasure slave. Right down to the mirror, the scene was exactly like her childhood. It was like looking into a dark shadow of herself... how things had changed since those days.

Instead of the innocent appearance of a young girl, Leia only saw an adult woman who had the look of a whore. Instead of the wealthy girl tended to by her own servants, she was reduced to the lowest social rank of them all... slave. Far from the adorable dresses she remembered wearing as a child, her gold bikini left little to the imagination. And for everything it left exposed, Leia couldn't even recognize herself anymore.

Staring at that mirror into her past, it reminded Leia that so much of herself had been destroyed since then. Alderaan was gone. Her father and family murdered. Her family's fortune destroyed along with her home. And after all those years of service to the Rebel Alliance, she faced the very real possibility that she might spend the rest of her life in the hellish misery of Jabba's service.

Against her every urge to hide it, Leia couldn't hold back a few tears. Looking at that mirror seemed a greater torment than anything Jabba has yet done to her. Upon opening her eyes again, Leia came to absolutely hate the sight of the woman staring back at her. An overwhelming urge to just smash the damned mirror entered her mind. And she would have done it, if only Greeata hadn't moved between them.

The Rodian had set a pair of boots on the floor in front and guided Leia's feet into them. They were the only part of the ensemble that Leia may actually have liked. Jerva leather was not very tough, but it offered excellent thermal protection against the scorching surface of Tattooine. Also encrested with gold trimmings that trailed from the back of her shins down to just above her ankles, they fit just perfectly.

Right down to the adornments for her hair, every element of Leia's new outfit seemed overly lavish. As Lyn finished braiding it, she flung the ponytail over Leia's shoulder. Both she and Greeata took a brief moment to fully inspect Leia one last time before presenting her to Jabba.

To her disappointment, Lyn had inspected the lower piece of the outfit and found a major flaw. "I think this is still too loose. Help me tighten it."

Greeata quietly replied, some concern in her tone. "It's already as tight as I could get it. She's really a tiny thing."

Leia rolled her eyes back, absolutely frustrated. She'd lost a lot of weight over the last year, which probably wouldn't have made much difference around her waist in any event; but it certainly didn't help with making that ridiculous outfit fit any better. The bikini bottom actually was adjustable to accommodate a narrow range of dimensions, but its smallest size was just a little too large for Leia's waist.

Lyn then wriggled the piece to test how well it would hold and then nodded at Leia. "It'll due for now. We'll get that fixed for you."

Leia rolled her eyes back again. The last thing she wanted was to think she'd be there long enough to have that wretched outfit fixed so that she could wear it for the rest of her life. As far as Jabba was concerned, Leia was his for the rest of her life. For Leia, it was just a temporary role that she would have to play. Once Luke had arrived, it would all be over.

As Lyn checked over Leia one last time, she smiled and whispered into her ear. "You look great. And don't be afraid, just do as the master requests and he will take good care of you."

Her words did little to ease Leia's mind, as the last thing she wanted was to 'please the master.' Before she even had a chance to protest, Lyn and Greeata took Leia by the shoulders and rotated her to face Jabba yet again. Despite her every wish to turn away, they marched her before Jabba's throne.

As his huge eyes fell upon her, Leia was utterly disgusted. The last thing she wanted in the galaxy was to be alluring to the Hutt. His nasty tongue wetted his lips, the sound of his breathing indicated excitement, and Leia quivered in horror.

Hutts were well known for the way they dressed their servants to enhance their appearance, but the outfit Leia wore... it was like function didn't even enter the mind of the designer. Its only purpose was to adorn the body of its victim.

Clasped to her breasts was a gold brassiere that was underlined by a layer of silk. It didn't conform so much to her body as that it was tasked to restrain her breasts. The elaborate gold frame in front was a sharp contrast to her back, left completely bare, save a pair of black laces which ran across from her shoulders to under the opposite arm. Those laces, which held the brassiere in place, were strung so tight against her flesh that they left visible indentations upon the skin.

The lower piece consisted of gold plates covering her in front and back. Dipping below her exposed abdomen, the plates were suspended around her waist by conjoining metal loops that trailed just above her hips. The plates were so heavy that Leia felt as though the lower part of the outfit was determined to find the floor! And the metal had been so cold around the edges; it seemingly sapped all the heat from her body.

Hidden from all but Leia was a cloth G-string underline that ran in between her legs, which was little more than a thong grafted to the underside of those gold plates. Leia found it absurd how such an expensive outfit couldn't provide more in the way for comfort. Actually it did give her some level of comfort to know that particular area of her body wasn't left completely bare.

With Lyn and Greeata pushing her forward, Leia found the only thing holding that lower piece at her waist was a lot of hope. Despite the rigid nature of the outfit, it offered surprisingly good freedom of movement to her legs. Unfortunately Leia preferred not to stand with her legs close together, for fear of having that thing drop below her waist!

Holding the loops at her sides to keep them firmly above her hips, Leia felt the interesting pattern engraved onto the front face of the gold plate in front. And she couldn't help noticing how much the pattern resembled parts of the female anatomy. She then realized the irony of wearing an outfit which portrayed a uterus and ovaries. It was as if the very thing meant to conceal her nudity symbolically exposed something deeper than what the eye could see. Despite whatever it resembled, Leia preferred Jabba's gold bikini over the air around her... but not by much.

Another element of the outfit she disliked was the adornment clutching her left triceps. It was an armband that resembled a snake strangling its victim... a theme that seemed to fit quite well with what that slave bikini represented. Although it fit around her arm quite comfortably, Leia didn't like snakes... and she certainly despised slugs!

Not everything about the outfit was rigid and uncomfortable. At the lower edges of the gold plates were a pair of veils made from Lashaa silk that flowed to just above her ankles. Somewhat resembling a split-skirt, they didn't conceal much beyond her inner legs... although the texture of the luxury cloth seemed almost inviting against her skin.

As Leia found herself before Jabba, her legs spaced far apart, the young princess soon came to a chilling realization that the thing fitted around her neck was in fact a slaving collar... it seemed to resemble a necklace. Not until Lyn had attached a chain to a loop in front that it became abundantly obvious to Leia that Jabba intended to put her on a short leash. Before she had a chance to truly grasp the situation, the opposite end of the chain was placed in Jabba's waiting clutches.

Clenching the chain and wrapping it around his left palm, taking what little slack Leia had been given, Jabba stared into her frightened eyes and laughed again with a low, sadistic excitement. Gently tugging on the chain, Leia drew closer to him. Before allowing her to sit on the throne in front, Jabba leaned as far forward as he could to whisper something into her ear. [Welcome to my service, princess. You belong to me now... your only purpose from this point on is to please me. Do that and you can expect to live a long, maybe even tolerable existence. Remember that I can dispose of you whenever I desire... or I could dispose of Captain Solo if you would prefer...]

Leia lightly gasped, but then used her hand to cover her mouth. She realized that it was a mistake, and not one she made often. To make such an obvious display of concern, but it was a mistake she couldn't take back.

Having seen that he had firm control over Leia, Jabba gently pulled her towards him by the chain, coercing the poor woman all the way onto his throne. Taking Leia by the collar and pulling her closer to him, she grabbed the chain and pulled in the opposite direction as best she could, but was easily overpowered.

As Leia found herself trapped in the abhorrent arms of the Hutt, she turned herself away and closed her eyes. "I swear you'll regret this." she whispered.

* * *

Author's notes:

I remembered seeing a drawing of a young Leia being dressed by her aunts as a little girl and thought about doing a drawing of her being clad as Jabba's slave. It would be sort of like the 'dark mirror' she thought about. I also know I made this and the last chapter quite dark, but Leia will improve significantly in the next chapter. She is just suffering from the shock of what's happened and needs some time to get a hold of herself. I do wish to keep the characters more or less the same as in the movie, but you never see this kind of thing from Leia.

I also do not plan on introducing any elements of rape, although it will be a matter of concern for her until Luke arrives. Like I said, I wish to keep this somewhat canon.

PS: thanks to all who've read and reviewed.


	4. A Small Mercy

Alright, here's the long-awaited chapter four. It didn't quite turn out as I had intended, but I think I've added a great element to the plot by introducing a new character of whom Leia befriends. This friendship will come with some benefits and some hardships later on. I won't give too much away, but I'm not going to write another chapter to cover Lando as I had intended. Lando will meet up with Leia shortly after this chapter, but I'm just going to skip over that so I can keep the plot progressing. I don't want to keep the story stagnant, so I'm not going to stop to write about every single boring event.

Boba Fett enters the following chapter... and you find out why he wasn't at Jabba's party the night Leia was given her gold bikini. And after a recent review about how I went to an extreme level to humiliate Leia in the first three chapters, I just want everyone to know I never planned for it to go on the entire story. That reviewer's comments seem valid, so I'll just admit that I did take some fun at Leia's expense. But the tide will change when she starts making Jabba's criminal dealings more difficult. The next chapters will really get into the heart of the story, which has been mostly absent thus far. I want this to be the kind of LO/HS romance story people can enjoy. I also made this chapter a bit too generic for my taste. I did rush to finish it and hadn't really polished some of the character actions or emotional qualities that I really appreciate from skilled authors. Any suggestions or comments to improve on that would be greatly appreciated.

I don't own Star Wars or any of the characters. Enjoy!

* * *

A Small Mercy

Jabba's party endured throughout the early hours of the morning, waning very slowly as the dawn approached. Between fatigue and the effects of drink, the audience chamber grew quiet as more and more guests retired for the evening. Eventually the band played their last song, the chamber grew still, and the closing of Jabba's eyes indicated a conclusion to the celebration.

Long had it been since Leia could rest. Having been awake for nearly a day and a half, she was drowsy, but couldn't quite find the relief of sleep until after the rhythmic sound of Jabba's snoring echoed in her ears. Only then did she removed her bare back from his enormous hide and curl herself upon the cushion in front. Although Jabba's body was quite warm, she much preferred the cold air then his flesh.

After being forced into that wretched metal bikini, Leia spent the rest of the event seated on the throne in front of Jabba. Although he had deeply humiliated her only hours before, Leia was glad to have it over with. Having feared worse fates than simply sitting on the throne with Jabba, Leia took solace in knowing Luke would soon come to rescue everyone. And then it would be all over. She and Han would be together again.

The thought comforted her as Leia curled up on the pillow and whispered to herself. "Don't worry, Han. If this is what it takes to save you, it's worth it." Then after taking a moment to wonder what exactly her capture and all that humiliation actually amounted to, it seemed to just lower her spirit that much further. Whatever could such a sick display by Jabba POSSIBLY have contributed to their rescue mission? If she hadn't let her heart get in the way of her better judgment, Leia wouldn't have ended up in that mess. She just gently shook her head and whispered again, as if to remind herself of why she was there. "It's worth it."

However quickly it took to find solace in the bliss of unconsciousness, Leia merely passed from one hellish world into another. Wishing to escape her nightmare, Leia only entered into another. In a dream that seemed to reflect her situation quite perfectly, Leia found herself standing on the platform of the carbon freezing chamber on Cloud City. As she had wanted, their positions were reversed. Only Han could have saved her.

"If that's how you want it, Sweetheart, I'll gladly come to rescue you." As he said his goodbyes, Han pressed the control panel which began the carbon freezing process.

As the platform under Leia's feet began sinking below the deck, Han twisted himself around and leaned over the side to talk down on her. "Oh, I almost forgot that I still need to deliver that spice to Nar Kreeda before the end of the week, and I'm already behind with those disruptors to Anoat. I've got a huge debt to pay off and I'm barely able to pay off just the interest, so I hope you can appreciate I've got a busy schedule ahead of me. It may be some time, but I'll squeeze you in, but I'll get to you eventually."

Dreams often didn't make sense, which probably was why she didn't wake up at that point. Instead of being blasted by Tibana gas, as what happened to Han, the elements of the dream became completely incoherent. It wasn't quick and painful, but rather a mix of subtle sensations from a long, slow freezing process. Then she felt a hand placed on her shoulder. "Give Jabba my best." It couldn't have been Han she felt.

One of the strange things about dreams was how one's physical sensations often influenced events which took place within the subconscious mind. She felt cold because so much of her skin was left exposed. The enclosed sensation of being trapped within carbonite was due to the rigid nature of the bikini which seemed confining. It was only the sensation at the end which was genuine.

Lightly rubbing Leia's naked shoulder, Lyn Me didn't expect her to awaken in such a startled manner. The noise Leia made in panic wasn't particularly loud, but Lyn pressed a hand over Leia's mouth, muffling her voice.

Still not fully conscious, Leia resisted, and Lyn had to hold her by the collar to keep the princess from backing into Jabba. The last thing she wanted was to awaken her master. Lyn shushed her, putting her face centimeters from leia's. Softly she spoke in an effort to ease her panic. "Shh... No one's going to hurt you. Please be calm. Calm."

As Leia finally came to, she closed her eyes and inhaled a slow, deep breath, indicating that Lyn could withdraw her hand. When she did, the twi'lek leaned forward and whispered into Leia's ear. "I'm sorry that if I startled you. The Master doesn't like to be disturbed when he's sleeping."

Leia might have complained that she didn't much like being awoken either, but she was more interested in what the servant had to say. "What time is it?"

"It's still night."

"But do you know what time it is?"

Lyn apologetically stared at Leia. "The Master doesn't keep clocks around the palace. 0200 hours would be my be my best guess."

Leia didn't seem confident in that answer. It was only at about midnight that she set out to rescue Han and failed. The party which followed couldn't have endured for only lasted two hours. Four in the morning seemed more likely.

Whatever time it was, Lyn made an offer she knew the princess wouldn't reject. "I was thinking you might want a bath. I might be able to get you out and back without anyone noticing."

Before Leia could so much as answer one way or another, Lyn had already detached the leash which bound her to the throne. Held on by a powerful magnet, an electric charge to the magnet weakened its hold. And although the collar remained locked around her neck, at least she was free of the chain which bound her to the throne. Leia sighed in relief and sat herself up. After having Jabba's saliva all over her body, she was eager to rinse it away. "A bath does sound good just about now."

Lyn smiled and then gestured her to follow. "Come."

Leia slid herself off the throne, nearly losing the lower piece of her outfit in the process. Pulling it back above her waist, she didn't mention the problem to Lyn. Just the thought of submerging her body in a tub of hot water was so tempting that she closed her eyes from the anticipation. "Thank-you, I really needed this."

"It's only a small mercy; I wish there were more I could offer."

Leia shook her head. "I'm grateful, but I wouldn't want to see you get in trouble..."

"It's alright. As long as I get you back before the Master awakes, no one will notice you were ever gone. Even then, he'll probably appreciate having you clean." Leading the way out of the throne room, Lyn turned around once they were out of sight. "Please don't abuse my trust. If you try to escape, you won't succeed. Your collar has both a locator device and an explosive charge in it. If you try to remove it by force, it will explode."

As she heard Lyn describe the features of her slaving collar, Leia couldn't help examining it with her fingers. Using only her sense of touch, Leia did notice that the collar wasn't just solid metal. There were two cavities along the back of which she believed were the power cell and the device's shock mechanism. Very possible was it that a detonator could be housed in such a space as well.

Lyn saw Leia's reaction and tried easing her concern. "It's only triggered if you try to remove it by force, otherwise it's almost impossible to set off accidentally. If you did try to escape, the collar would merely shock you once you got outside the palace walls. Otherwise the Master almost never sees a need to activate the charge." Almost with jocularity, Lyn smiled and patted her shoulder. "Now I'm still trusting you. I can still get in trouble if you were to try and escape. Please don't abuse that trust."

Leia probably wouldn't have given Lyn's feelings a second thought if she saw an opportunity to escape, but she did make a very good point about the collar. And given as there seemed little chance in actually pulling off an escape without help, she genuinely promised not to abuse the twi'lek's act of mercy. "Don't worry; I won't."

After following Lyn to a private wash room, Leia was asked what temperature she wanted for her bath. "Thirty five." Leia answered.

Lyn nodded and set the specified temperature into the control panel near the edge of the tub. The spa was absolutely luxurious in both its size and construction. Except for the rim of the tub, elevated slightly above the floor, the majority of the basin was carved into the floor. It was the centerpiece of the entire room, and large enough to comfortably support six occupants.

Despite its antiquated appearance, the spa came with all the functions of a modern jacuzzi. As the system engaged, several jets of water shot out from the sides. At the sight of so much water pouring into the basin, Leia eagerly stripped away her slave bikini, kicked off the boots, and threw herself into the water. With the Hutt's saliva all over her body, she only wanted it washed away as quickly as possible. She hadn't even removed the gold adornments which decorated her body or hair.

What had surprised Lyn was that Leia didn't wait for the basin to completely fill before leaping in. It only took a minute to fill such a large spa... but raising the temperature to the desired level took a little longer. "Wait, it's not...!"

Gasping from the shock of finding herself in cold water, Leia knew she had only herself to blame. Lyn did try to stop her. "What the...?"

After removing her hand from her face and shaking her head, Lyn pointed to a gauge which read only 18 Celsius. Then 19... and 20. "It takes a little while to get the water up to temperature."

Leia kept gasping, only able to nod her head at the comment. She did feel jets of hot water shooting out from the sides. Apparently the water temperature was controlled from heaters situated outside the tub itself and then cycled back in through the water jets. The drawbacks were quite obvious, as Leia just discovered; but it allowed for the user to quickly raise the temperature without using dangerous heating elements in the spa itself.

Leia might not have enjoyed diving into the vat of cold water, but it only seemed to make her bath that much more soothing after it came to temperature. Only then did she finally remove the clips from her hair and dove her head below the surface. Last things off were the bracelet and the snakelike armband. The collar around her neck was all she wore.

Lyn had left her alone for a few minutes, but soon returned bearing a tray with an assortment of fruits, a pitcher of water, some fragranted soaps, and a towel around her arm. Upon setting the towel near the rim of the tub and placing the tray neatly upon it, Leia twisted herself around and caught sight of the fruit. "Oh thank-you." Although they all looked scrumptious, Leia snatched the only one she recognized. Sitting with her back against the side, she took a greedy bite. Leia was starving, and certainly appreciated what Lyn had offered. "I certainly like you much more than your master."

Lyn didn't seem to acknowledge the gratitude... she just turned her attention to the pieces of Leia's slave bikini, which were scattered across the floor.

After taking another bite of the fruit in her hands, Leia waved at her. "Don't worry about that. You don't have to clean up after me as well."

Of course Lyn wasn't doing it as to further serve Leia. Lashaa silk and Jerva Leather were quite prone to water damage, which was why she moved those particular pieces out of harm's way. "You should treat these with greater respect. This is a majestic outfit that Master Jabba has given you. Such an opulent gift is not to be ruined."

Leia rolled her head around and stared at the twi'lek as though Lyn thought she gave a damn what Jabba wanted. She certainly didn't appreciate the gift. Leia certainly would have preferred something more comfortable. "If you want it, you can have it. I won't miss it."

Lyn had picked up the lower piece last. Taking it by the loops, she took a moment to appreciate what Leia was given. Such an outfit was enough to make any servant envious. Strangely it had nothing to do with its design, or even what it was made out of. Jabba only gave the most elaborate and expensive outfits to servants he most favored. Lyn didn't want the bikini... she wanted Jabba's favor, and politely declined. "Thank-you, but it was never mine to have. Master Jabba would never give me something like this... I was born a slave. You were a princess. I've tried as hard as I could to earn his favor, so that maybe one day..."

It saddened Leia to hear of Lyn's misfortune. As the twi'lek fell silent, she genuinely wanted to hear more. "Yes? Please go on."

Lyn sighed and set the last piece of the outfit with the rest of it. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said anything."

Leia leaned upon the rim of the tub and rested her arms along the sides, raising herself just high enough to keep her breasts obscured. "Lyn if you know anything about me, then you'd know I have a greater respect for people like you than your master. I'd really like to hear what's on your mind... maybe I can help you."

Lyn kept staring at the pieces of Leia's outfit as she spoke, somewhat symbolizing the nature of her frustration. "Princess, you've endured so much humiliation today... that's the only reason I'm doing this. I don't wish to make you feel any worse."

"Lyn..." Leia waited for her to turn around before continuing. "I'm alright. I thank you for your concern, but your feelings are just as important as mine. And I can't help getting the sense that you've got a problem with me. If you don't tell me about it..."

Lyn tried her best not to cry, but Leia's words seemed to tear into her soul. No one like Leia had ever said her feelings mattered as much as a lowly servant's. Tears came, but Lyn forced them back. "Princess, you have no idea just how lucky your kind really are."

"My kind? Humans?"

"No... well that too." Lyn turned about and stared at Leia in the bath tub. "Royalty. Those of you born to be rich, powerful, privileged... you are always just so lucky."

Leia got a sense that Lyn was going off in a different direction than just the difference in social class. Although she thought it absurd that Lyn would call her a spoiled girl, she kept her silence.

"Your kind always have it so much better than we do. We who were born to serve you... no one appreciates what we have made of ourselves. Never are our feelings spared." As she spoke, Lyn approached Leia in a threatening manner. Leia withdrew, intimidated by the approaching twi'lek... as Lyn had intended. "We're not so different, are we? My master gave you orders and you obeyed, just like the rest of us. And yet you're still so lucky."

Leia almost felt ashamed, yet saddened that Lyn didn't see her for what she was. Despite everything Leia had done in helping the Rebels, Lyn still thought of her like a spoiled brat, ordering slaves around like their lives meant nothing. "Lyn, I stopped being a princess when Alderaan was destroyed. Since that time, I've devoted my life to fighting for the freedom of everyone in the galaxy. It was in pursuing the rights of people like you that I ended up where I am now..." Leia pealed a little more by telling a half truth. "...now a fellow slave who answers to Master Jabba. I know exactly how you feel."

"No, you don't. It's not like that at all. Not at all!" Lyn shrieked. She kneeled beside the tub and expressed such repressed anger that she couldn't hold back the tears any longer. "Even now, you're still treated like a princess! Some of us have served Master Jabba all our lives, and yet...!" Lyn couldn't quite finish her train of thought. A part of her knew that it wasn't Leia's fault, yet she had been given permission to express herself... and it felt so good to express herself. "People such as you never give as much of themselves to their master as I have. I would die to protect him, yet you would just as easily kill Master Jabba if you had the chance. You obey him only because you're afraid. I obey him out of gratitude... because I'm grateful to have such a generous master."

Leia knew that Lyn only believed such nonsense because she wasn't allowed to believe anything other than what Jabba imposed on her. Despite her every urge to counter the Twi'lek's flawed sense of loyalty to her master, Leia knew enough that years of mental conditioning couldn't be changed by just a casual conversation. And she really couldn't afford to alienate a potential friend, so she kept silent.

"Princess, to become the Master's first servant is a great honor. It's an honor that I have wanted for many years; but Master Jabba would never consider. An inbred, white twi'lek, like myself could never hope for such an honor. I don't know if you're aware of this, but twi'leks like me are almost regarded as vermin... but I was determined not to allow my flesh to dominate my destiny. I wanted to show my master that there was more to me than just my inbred flesh. And after all my years of loyalty and dedicated service, Master Jabba told me how much he enjoyed my presence. He said he was proud to have me. He wanted me to sit with him on the throne. He had wanted to show me off proudly."

"What happened?"

She sighed and then shook her head. "The Master's attention was drawn to someone even better."

It didn't take much intelligence on her part to realize exactly what she meant. "Me."

"You." Lyn let out another breath and nodded. "Despite offering both my flesh and soul, Master Jabba... desired you so much more. It was the first time I ever questioned my master's decision."

"What happened?"

Lyn turned and stared at herself in a mirror. Very much as Leia's reflection tore into the soul did Lyn's leave her with a sense of impotence. Although Leia did not know it, the twi'lek wished she had not been cursed by such pale skin. Although her kind were fairly rare, twi'leks without skin color were among the least desired in the galaxy. Lyn knew that if she were ever to sit on the throne beside Jabba, her presence would only have reflected very poorly upon her master.

As she drifted off, Leia grew concerned. "Lyn?"

The pale twi'lek sighed and turned her attention back to Leia. "Princess... you have no idea just how lucky you are compared to one like me." Lyn slowly approached and kneeled beside the edge of the tub to look Leia in the eye. "Even in this low existence, I envy you. I had to devote myself just to earn my Master's acceptance. You have his unconditional affection... and you hate him. Life can be so damned cruel."

Leia reached out and pulled Lyn's forehead against hers, as if to express friendship. "Lyn... Jabba only wants me because he sees me like a trophy... a way to display his power to others. Don't think that because he'd chosen me for this honor... that he doesn't love you any less. He wanted me because I'm a princess... and the last thing I would have wanted was to deprive something very important to you." Lyn tried to pull her head away, but Leia was insistent that she not withdraw until she's heard an apology. "I am sorry that my presence is a torment to you. I do genuinely wish I were somewhere else."

As Leia withdrew, Lyn took one of her hands and held it against the side of her face, tears streaming down her cheeks. "I know." she whispered. "And I don't blame you for any of this. The last thing I'd want is to make you feel even more uncomfortable here than you already are. Forgive me if I made it seem that way."

"There's nothing to forgive. In fact, I can't help wondering why you're doing so much to make me feel more comfortable here. I'd have thought you'd be more than a little resentful of me."

Lyn reluctantly nodded and then stood up. "I guess I still do to a certain extent, but then I realized something. For however much I would have wanted to be Master Jabba's first servant... you probably feel so much worse now than I do right now."

Leia knew exactly what she meant. Lyn didn't grow up with an appreciate for either freedom and personal choice, but she did know how much beings like Leia cherished being their own master. And although she was touched that someone appreciated her feelings enough to mention it, Leia still felt guilty that a poor soul like Lyn would extend mercy to one who didn't deserve it.

Lyn slowly withdrew, making her way for the door. "Take as much time in here as you need, but please be sure to return to the Master's throne before he awakes. If he learns someone removed without his permission... he'll be most upset with me. Can I trust you to do that?"

"Thank-you." Leia answered.

Before leaving, Lyn and Leia shared a very tender moment. It just seemed so strange that a slave would reach out and risk so much in an act of mercy towards one she believed wouldn't have done the same for her. And Leia couldn't help feeling guilty that her presence had deprived Lyn of something she genuinely wanted. Leia certainly didn't like being Jabba's first slave in the first place, she hated it even more because she couldn't pass on the honor to someone who deserved it more.

As those words went through her head, Leia realized how repugnant it sounded. No one 'deserved' being Jabba's first slave, yet that was exactly how she thought about Lyn. The white twi'lek wanted it. Surly even Jabba would have liked having such a loyal servant as Lyn on the throne with him. Leia would have preferred it. Why couldn't she and Lyn just switch places? Then everyone would have been happy.

An almost pleasant fantasy, but one of which didn't last long. Leia was finally allowed a few moments alone with nothing but her thoughts. And although her mind was overburdened enough as it was, much more weighed down upon her than she had time to consider.

What really concerned her more than anything else was facing the possibility that Luke might not be able to save everyone. If the situation was so bad that he'd have to free everyone by force... there was the real possibility Luke would die. She didn't want to consider that fate, nor to think she would be condemned to spend the rest of her life as Jabba's slave girl; but that was a distinct possibility. But that was an outcome that she had considered before ever coming to Tattooine. Everything now depended on Luke, and there was no escape if he died.

Unfortunately there was one dreadful outcome which scared her more than anything. While at the party, Jabba spoke to a guest about what he intended to do with Han. He had expressed interest in buying the technology that allowed for people to be frozen alive in carbonite, so that he could freeze Han again. Leia imagined a future where she might find herself staring at Han's face etched into another piece of carbonite while she sat on Jabba's throne, still wearing that gold bikini. Leia couldn't imagine a more terrible fate, yet it loomed over her mind like an angel of death. Unlike so many other times when three of them entered danger, Leia feared that she would live through this hell. She genuinely feared the possibility that Luke would die while she and Han were doomed to live.

Such a fate seemed too dreadful even to comprehend. What if Han were to be refrozen in the carbonite? Could she possibly consider killing herself at that point, knowingly abandoning Han to the carbonite forever?


	5. A Friend in Need

Okay, it's been some time since my last update, but this story is still on track. Despite what the title suggests, this story actually is going to span two or maybe even three days. I'm going to introduce Boba Fett in the next chapter, so that should explain why he's been strangely absent so far. This scene was supposed to only be a few paragraphs, but I extended it back to an entire chapter. I really wanted to add another story element here, which I won't spoil before you've read the chapter.

Thanks to those who wrote reviews. They are genuinely helpful, especially when people tell me what I got right and what I need to work on. I don't own star wars or any of the characters.

Enjoy!

Friend in Need

Leia anticipated sleeping much better than she had before Lyn had pulled her away from the nightmare. Although she thoroughly enjoyed sitting in the spa, Leia promised that she would return to the throne before Jabba had awoken. As she became increasingly drowsy, Leia found it difficult just to keep her eyes open. As distasteful it was to be back with Jabba, the enslaved princess knew she couldn't afford to fall asleep in the spa. The last thing she wanted was for Lyn to get in trouble for the nicety she was extended... it was the very least she could do in return.

Drying herself off, Leia didn't look forward to putting herself back into that ridiculous slave bikini. She wondered if Lyn would still have wanted it if she knew just how uncomfortable the damned thing was. And it certainly wasn't easy to get back on. Leia nearly had a fit with the absurd outfit... there was nothing about the gold bikini she didn't hate.

Leia had only managed to fasten the bottom piece in place, a bit tighter than she had wanted; but at least she finally secured it properly around her waist. The brassiere was a bit more of a challenge. Struggling for a few minutes it, Leia didn't know whether to be glad or angry that Lando caught her by surprise. Hands over her breasts, Leia shot around and hissed at him. "Where the hell have you been?"

Lando leaned against the side of the door, his boyish smile mostly hidden behind the helmet he wore. Leia wasn't fooled, as she knew exactly the kind of guy Lando was. He leaned his head forward and slipped his head from the mask so they could speak face to face. "I was just about to ask you the same thing." Approaching the half-naked Leia, his eyes were drawn to the top piece of the outfit she had dropped a moment ago. He took the brassiere, examined it, and then offered it to Leia, gesturing to help with it. "I didn't find you in the throne room. How did you end up in here?"

Turning her back to Lando, he lifted the brassiere over her head and she set it in place while he tied it in the back. "Had a little help from a friend." She twisted her head around and complained about her attire. "I hate this thing. It's impossible just to put on."

Lando couldn't help taking some pleasure in making a boyish joke. "Well you know there's an old saying, Leia: beauty can be a curse."

She sneered at his reflection in the mirror on the wall in front of them. "Glad you enjoyed the show. Maybe you and me can arrange a little one-on-one later tonight. Just remember Jabba's first rule only applies to the slave. There's nothing protecting you from injury."

The rule of which Leia referred to was the only restriction Jabba explicitly placed on the treatment of his servants by invited guests. The first rule of a slave was to fulfill any of their wishes, so long as they didn't cause physical harm to the servant. Leia found it somewhat ironic that Jabba would allow his guests the freedom to torture the soul of any of his unfortunate victims, so long as their flesh was left in good condition.

It surprised Lando that she already knew the first rule, but he went on and teased her a bit. It was his way of lightening her spirit. "I don't know, Leia. A black eye... maybe a bloody nose might be worth spending an evening with the most beautiful thing in the galaxy."

Leia smirked and gestured to her outfit, of which he still hadn't started lacing anything in the back. "If you won't help me with this outfit, I'll give you some that advanced payment right here." Lando smirked in return and got to fastening the top piece where it belonged. Leia looked forward at herself and frowned at her garb and everything it stood for. "This is an outfit from hell."

"Only if you're a woman, I suppose. I think it complements your more... enduring features."

"That's only half the problem... I can stand being stared at. It's that this thing's extremely uncomfortable. I finally got this skirt-like thing to fit properly, but now it's clenching my waist..." twisting her head around, Leia gestured back with her thumb. "And those straps are on too loose. I know you're trying to be gentle, but I don't want this to fall off."

Lando seemed all too happy to comply. "Maybe I'd prefer to botch the job." From Leia's expression, Lando got the point and reset the laces as she had requested. "But I suppose there are some things not meant to be seen, and I can honestly say I saw the most beautiful thing in the galaxy today. I only wish Han could have had my eyes this evening."

Almost the instant he finished tying it, Leia let go of the brassiere and turned herself around to face him. Allowing Lando that brief moment to divert his gaze from her nearly-bare body to her eyes, Leia folded her arms across her chest. Eager to make her feelings about the previous night very clear, she maintained a calm, but firm tone. "That is not something I would have wanted anyone to see. Not Luke, not Han, and certainly not you." Before Lando could turn his head away, she took him by the chin and directed his attention back onto her. "But I don't hold it against you. Even if you did take a certain... perverted pleasure in it. And please don't turn your head away like that..." Leia took a few steps back so that Lando could get a full view of her. "...it doesn't bother me, so don't pretend like that this thing isn't some boyish fantasy of yours."

Lando stole a guilty moment to enjoy the magnificent view that Leia offered freely of herself. And then after getting his mind back onto the task at hand, he sighed and looked away. Although a pleasant fantasy that Leia might have been, her capture was something everyone wanted to avoid. "Maybe... but our plan certainly has taken a turn for the worst. What the hell were you thinking?"

Leia knew exactly what he meant. It was because of her personal feelings for Han that she got caught. Even she knew that she was responsible for what's happened. "I thought I had a clear shot at freeing Han and getting him away from this place. I felt I had to take it."

"Jabba had suspected, but couldn't be completely sure it was you who brought in Chewie. He was watching for you to make a mistake." Lando shrugged his shoulders and turned around to scold her. "But even if he suspected you to be a spy, you still would have been in a much better position to turn that to our advantage than..."

Leia became increasingly frustrated at being blamed for something which she believed was Lando's fault. Had he told her that Jabba was suspicious, maybe none of that would have happened. "Thank you so much for telling me now! If you knew something then, you should have let me know what was going on!"

Lando's anger clearly apparent, he didn't spare Leia's feelings on the matter of her incarceration. They had a mission to complete and Leia botched her part, which was why he felt the need to express his frustration. "I couldn't! Jabba only had his suspicions, but he wasn't about to accuse one of his bounty hunters of being a spy unless she gave him some damned good reason to take you! I assumed you were too good for that, which was why I didn't risk telling you. I thought you'd have seen it was a trap."

Leia might normally have shouted back and defended herself when scolded for 'being too good for that,' but she knew deep inside that it was her own mistake which lead to her capture. Had she not allowed her personal feelings to get in the way, Leia knew she could have seen such an obvious trap. Instead she foolishly went ahead and acted without thinking, hoping beyond hope that she could free Han by herself. It should have been quite obvious that Jabba wouldn't have let his guard down right as she was in a position to act... unless he wanted only to make it seem that way. It was too good an opportunity to be true, yet Leia allowed those warm thoughts of being in Han's arms again to overwhelm her judgment.

She sighed, closed her eyes, and nodded in agreement. "You're right. I should have seen it for what it was. I just thought... if it were a genuine opportunity, I just felt I had to take that chance. If it meant saving Han... I was willing to risk it."

As Leia collapsed onto a nearby marble bench, Lando slowly let out a deep breath. Leia's spirit couldn't have been any lower, yet he had more that needed to be said. "Leia, you're not the only one who's involved with this rescue operation. What has happened now isn't simply a matter of your life or Han's life, but it now complicates everything that was depending on all of us."

"I know; I made a mess of things... I've become a liability. The question now is where do we go from here?"

Lando sat beside her and rested his chin upon his wrists. He already had an idea in mind, but he needed some time to actually confront the necessity of their situation. Then he looked into her eyes and began. "I think we would all be in agreement that our first priority is to get you out of here. That's what Han told me he wanted. And that's probably what Luke would have me do as well."

Leia perked her head up, anxious to hear a familiar name. "Han? Do you know where he is? Is he all right?"

Lando exhaled sharply and nodded. "Yeah, but not for very long. Jabba is probably watching all of you very closely, so I couldn't risk more than a few minutes alone with him or Chewie. I also shouldn't be caught interacting with you, so we need to make this quick."

"Is Han all right?" she demanded.

Lando sighed pleasantly, almost chuckling. "You know, that's exactly what he asked me. 'Is Leia all right? What has that slug done with her?'"

"What did you tell him?"

He smiled grimly and looked her in the eye. "I didn't tell Han anything... but he figured it out. He then ordered me not to let Jabba do anything to hurt you. That if I had a means to free you, that I was to get you away from this place. I have to agree with him on that... we need to get you out of here."

Leia didn't know how to feel in that moment. It was heartwarming to know Han cared so much. There was some guilt mixed in, as she didn't wish to leave Han behind while she was allowed to escape a second time. There was also a sense of dread... she wanted to be anywhere but on Jabba's throne. But that collar around her neck had to go. "I was told that if I tried removing this collar, that it would explode. Is that true?"

"I'm afraid so. Only those with a key can safely disarm the explosive before unlocking it..." Reaching into his pocket, Lando pulled out a small device of which was exactly what she needed. "... of which I happen to have. Fortunately Jabba believes those collars are a fail-safe mechanism for keeping his servants in line. So once that's gone, the rest should be pretty easy."

Leia sighed in great relief and leaned her head back against the wall behind her.

But there was more that Lando knew she wasn't going to like. "Unfortunately without transportation, we've no chance of surviving a journey through the desert. A cargo skiff will be delivering supplies in a few hours... once it arrives, we can smuggle ourselves aboard... it'll take us back to Mos Eisely."

"Us?" Leia inquired.

Lando regret using that particular pronoun, but he couldn't take it back. Turning back to face Leia, he gestured with the key in his possession. "Unfortunately there's a catch. Every time that a collar is tampered with, it gets logged into a computer. If a particular servant should turn up missing for some unknown reason, Jabba can trace it back to a particular guard's key. That would most definitely blow my cover... we'd both have to make our escape at the same time."

Suddenly the prospect of escape lost all appeal to Leia. She stood up and shook her head. "Then you can't help me."

"Leia..."

"No! If Luke is to rescue us, he's still going to need all the help he can get. I may be a prisoner now, but I'm not useless. And I won't let you sacrifice yourself to help me escape. I am not leaving without Han... or the others."

"Leia, I don't think Luke or Han would object... considering the circumstances." Lando commented, gesturing to her slave bikini and what it represented.

"I don't care what either of them want. If Luke can't negotiate a way out of this, things are going to become violent. And if that happens, I would not want him fighting all Jabba's guard on his own... just so that I may be allowed to escape. Luke's counting on us... he'll be counting on you now more than ever." She put her hands on her hips and looked at herself in the mirror... horrified at the way she looked in that bikini. And although she found her own reflection quite distasteful from her point of view, Leia remembered what it was like to have so many eyes focused on her nearly-naked form. She didn't like the idea of spending a day wearing that, knowing it was bound to attract unwanted male desire. And despite how much she wanted to escape that horrible place, Leia recognized the necessity of her situation. She wrapped her arms around her ribs, trembling at the thought of what Jabba might do to her, and twisted herself around to look Lando in the eye. "You can't help me."

Lando took another moment to appreciate Leia's new outfit, a purely male-oriented dream gown designed solely for adorning the features of the fairer sex. Despite concealing certain areas that men tend to desire the most, he certainly loved the way the bikini complemented her exposed legs. The split-skirt thing, which draped over everything in front and back, he really wished were gone. But it did somewhat give the revealing attire the vague semblance of a gown. He also rather preferred her in the bikini over nothing at all, as the contrast between warm flesh and rigid metal seemed to make Leia's exposed abdomen all that more inviting.

Seemingly mesmerized by her beauty, Lando could only imagine what brushed over the minds of other men. He couldn't quite figure out whether Jabba really found scantily-clad human and twi'lek females arousing or if the bikini was just to humiliate Leia, but he was well aware that the Hutt enjoyed exploiting a woman's sexuality for his own perverted ends. If Jabba found Leia as alluring as he did, she was bound to be violated. Leia knew that better than he did, which was why he knew it was futile to argue any more with her.

Lando grimly nodded and then stretched his arm out to grab his helmet, which was resting on top of the vibro-ax, leaning up against the wall. Pulling it off the head of the ax, he knocked the staff off balance, it began leaning to one side, and then slammed onto the floor. Lando silently apologized to her for not catching it, having been trying to strap his helmet back on.

Leia wasn't quite ready either, as there was more to the outfit than just the bikini. Three hair pieces, two bracelets, and a pair of boots sat on the marble bench. She grabbed the boots and tossed them on the floor in front of her feet.

Finally securing his helmet and picking up the vibro staff, Lando watched as Leia struggled to slip the boots on while trying to slip the bracelet onto her right wrist at the same time. Lando knew she wasn't going to get the boots on without bending herself forward, so he just kneeled down to help her with them.

"Don't. I got it."

"Well since I don't have anything else to do. I might as well give you a hand with these."

Leia scoffed, but didn't refuse his offer. It certainly was much easier to slip a boot over a stationary foot, but that wasn't the reason he wanted to help. "I'll bet you anything you're just wondering what's under this... skirt-like thing."

As he took the left boot and presented it for her to step into. Smiling, Lando couldn't help staring at the gold plate hanging from her waist. "What can I say? If there's one good thing I can say about Jabba, for a species that doesn't wear clothes, he's got good taste."

It was then Leia decided that she'd had enough of Lando's cracks. After the humiliation Jabba put her through in the last few hours, she was not in the mood for his jocularity. After Lando slipped on the other boot, she grabbed him by the helmet and yanked him up from his knee to her face. Because the helmet had been strapped to his neck, she made no effort to be gentle. Once he was pulled to his feet and staring into Leia's eyes, the jocularity quickly turned to fear.

Leia maintained a very stoic expression, but her voice clearly indicated her true feelings. "Look, Buddy... you may not see it because I'm hiding it so well... But I am REALLY not in the mood for your overly boyish sense of humor. You have NO idea just how close I am of turning you inside out right here. Let's get something very clear. We're here because Han needs us... NOT so that I may be subject to your elevated testosterone levels." As she let go of Lando, Leia folded her arms across her chest and gestured to the doorway with her head. "I've got enough trouble just keeping that slug away from me. If you even think of being macho with me..."

Lando, somewhat shaken from Leia's reaction, continued trying to lighten her mood. Holding his neck and flexing his head around, he smiled again. "Hell, I'm thankful you didn't tear my head off just now. Believe me, nothing's more a turnoff than a beautiful lady who's either crying or demanding payment." He then put his hands on her shoulders. "I'm just letting you know that if you do need to escape this place... we'll all understand. Han and Luke wouldn't want you to risk being violated if..."

Leia dreaded the thought, which was why she didn't want to be reminded of it. "I am not helpless! Stop talking to me like I am!" Pausing a moment, she took a deep breath and calmly gave him her answer. "I know the dangers here, much better than you do. And I might very well need you to get me out if the situation does become that bad." Opening her eyes and looking directly into Lando's, Leia wanted to express her gratitude in a genuine way. "But not until it comes to that. And I ask you not to risk exposing yourself again unless I explicitly ask for your help. Please promise me that."

Lando smiled, his mouth barely visible behind the helmet's face-guard, and nodded. "And I'll also see if there's anything else I can do to protect you while we're here. Jabba's going to be busy most of today, so you shouldn't have to worry about what he'll do until later tonight."

Leia nodded and let her head down, a slight smile on her face. "Luke should be here by then and by this time tomorrow... we'll all be away from this horrible place." Looking back up to Lando, as if to assure him of her confidence, she smiled in anticipation of being in Han's arms soon enough. "All I have to do is get through just one day of this... how hard can that be?"


	6. Misery

Obedient Misery

Leia slept much better than she ever would have expected, considering her situation. Despite not having much to cover her scantily clad body, she didn't take much notice to the cold at first, but it began to prove most uncomfortable. It was hard to believe that she could be cold on Tattooine, but Jabba's palace was built to protect its inhabitants from the extreme temperatures outside.

Without a blanket, Leia shifted her outfit to see if she could get any warmer. She wrapped her arms around herself, got into a fetal position, and covered herself as best she could using the veils hanging from the lower piece of the bikini to blanket her bare legs. With half her body massaging the cushion upon which she slept, Leia managed to find a comfortable position.

Of course the last place Leia would ever have wanted to be was laying before a Hutt with many eyes fixed on her nearly-naked form. Leia wouldn't ever admit it to anyone, especially not to Jabba; but wearing that slave bikini was a genuinely humiliating experience for her. If Jabba's choice of attire for the young princess was to embarrass her... he had succeeded.

Feeling she should've had more integrity than that, Leia actively sought to hide her sense of humiliation. Unlike some of the unfortunate souls who's flesh belonged to Jabba, Leia could at least take comfort in knowing someone would be there to save her... to save everyone. While trying to fall asleep, she thought what it must have been like for other slaves who knew they weren't going to be rescued.

She often wondered how people like Lyn could live like that for years without losing their sanity. To be condemned to such a terrible existence with no hope of escape, save death... after going through it herself, Leia had only the greatest respect for those who Jabba had enslaved. Leia felt she could relate to Lyn, even though they lived in vastly different worlds.

When her starship had been disabled over Tattooine and she was taken prisoner, Leia went in with the knowledge that she wouldn't live through that ordeal. Transferred to the Death Star and subjected to endless torture by Darth Vader, Leia remembered wishing she were dead... and that her secrets would die with her. Leia vividly remembered what it was like to live after all hope had been forsaken. Having abandoned all hope for rescue, she did not realize her fantastic luck: a foolish kid and an ambitious scoundrel willing to face impossible odds to save her life.

As Jabba's snoring made it even more difficult for her to sleep, Leia at least had some time to think about other matters. Since being forced into that gold bikini, she had been too preoccupied with her own problems to think much of Han. As far as she knew, Han was relatively safe. He may even have been in a good mood to be reunited with his wookie friend at long last.

Before being frozen in carbonite, Han had told Chewie to take care of Leia, which was the same as if he had sworn a life debt to her. Han might have been alright with it, but she really didn't want a wookie everywhere she went. Although she considered Chewie a friend, after having him trailing behind her for a year, she was glad to finally give him back to Han. Of course, she much preferred the company of the furball over a giant slug.

Unfortunately thinking of Han really didn't lift her spirit very much. Leia couldn't help feeling a bit bitter at the thought of Han sitting comfortably in a cell while she was sentenced to something so much more demeaning. Modeling herself in a slave bikini for the purpose of entertaining Jabba's guests was a most humiliating fate. Leia lifted her head and looked back at the unconscious Hutt, furrowing her brow at the sight of her new master. What really upset her more than anything was thinking about Han and how stupid he must have been to do business with a Hutt. She was almost as angry at Han for getting himself into that mess as she was at Jabba for what he'd done to her. It was then that Leia silently dared Jabba to try and order her about again. If he believed that she would be easy to control, he best think again.

Ironically Leia actually got a very restful sleep before she felt something tugging on her skirt. Although barely conscious, she was just aware enough to pull the veil back over her exposed leg. And then she buried her head into the cushion and tried to get back to sleep.

When the tugging began again, Leia grabbed the veil in back to the lower piece of her bikini and pulled it away. Only this time, there was something attached to it. It was Salacious!

As she felt his little, furry body rub against her exposed legs, Leia's instincts took over. Thinking it was a disease-carrying rodent crawling up her leg, Leia kicked him away and pulled back, almost rubbing her bare back against Jabba's enormous body. Her heart racing, and close to panicking, Leia barely kept suppressed a shriek. Although it only took a brief moment for her to remember where she was, Leia shuddered in disgust.

She only realized that it was Salacious when the little creature chuckled venomously at her reaction. Trailing around Leia's boots, intent on making her already wonderful existence that much more enjoyable, Salacious went for the Lashaa veils again. She snapped at him again with her foot, barely missing him.

Seemingly unconcerned by the prospect of pain or injury, Salacious spoke in his native language at her. Leia couldn't make out a word of it, but assumed his words were meant to torment her. She sat herself up and swept the silk split-skirt under her legs so that he couldn't grab at it again. As he closed the distance between them, Leia glared at him. "Don't even think it, you little monster. I'll kill you if you touch me again."

He chuckled again, apparently eager to call her bluff... but Salacious took a position just outside Leia's reach. It was clear that she wouldn't get any more sleep that night.

One of the things that really made Leia uncomfortable was the way in which everyone stared at her scantilly-clad body. Within the main audience chamber remained several of Jabba's guards and guests. Those that remained either were too drunk to make it back to their quarters, or they just didn't want to call it a night. At least half of the spectators present had their eyes open, but none seemed to give much notice of Salacious or of her reactions.

The part of having so many people staring at her which really agitated Leia was the fact that so few of them were human. The Gamorians were absolutely repulsive to her, which made it uncomfortable to watch as they stared in her general direction. She didn't know how many of the species in that chamber found humans alluring, but she just hoped it was few.

As Leia and Salacious spent the next several minutes focused on one another, the little creature was determined to harass the new slave from a distance. Leia readied herself to lash at him once he was close enough, but Salacious seemed content only to aggravate the former princess for whatever it was worth. Suddenly the little monkey-lizard pointed at something just behind her and spoke something in his native language. Leia couldn't understand, but refused to turn her back on him.

As she felt something wet and slimy brush across her left shoulder... she half believed it was Jabba's tongue, but she was convinced that he was still asleep. Reacting to the disgust of having saliva slobbered on her body again, Salacious took that opportunity to sneak up on a distracted Leia. Staring at the lace holding the top piece of her bikini together, the little creature couldn't resist the chance to bite through it.

Sensing the creature on her again, Leia threw back her elbow and knocked Salacious away. Having failed to remove her top, and with her eyes fixed on him, Salacious realized he was in deep trouble. It was then Leia them threw herself at the wretched creature, intent to wring his little neck. "Damn you little...!"

Right as she was ready to pounce upon him, Leia was abruptly snapped back by the chain and collar around her neck. Strangling the poor princess as she tried to leave the throne, Leia growled at the misfortune of being put on such a short leash. Choking and gasping for breath, Leia grabbed the leash and pulled on it in a desperate effort for more slack. Despite knew it was pointless, Leia continued fighting against that damned leash, just wishing that she could break herself free!

Once Crum realized he was safely outside of Leia's reach, he perked his head over the far side of Jabba's throne and only saw Jabba's newest pet grasping the collar around her neck. She stared at him as if to silently say 'if it weren't for this collar...' Crum unfortunately had a sick sense of humor. He didn't realize that Leia was ready to kill him, but also that she was on a leash. The vile little creature simply laughed at her misfortune.

Leia gave him such a virulent look, which only got more intense as he began laughing. Seeing such a creature that could take such joyous pleasure at her expense... Leia wanted nothing more than to kick him across the room... if only it were not for that damned leash!

Suddenly Leia felt that tongue again on her back. Between Crum and that tongue, Leia shot herself around. "If you do that one more time...!" It was then that she realized it wasn't Jabba licking her. The tongue was long and seemingly hanging from something right above her. She looked up and found a creature hanging from the ceiling, unaware that it was a sapient creature called Ghoel. Finding him amusing because of the way he licked unwitting victims who passed directly under, Jabba kept Ghoel around his palace for obvious reasons.

Leia shot herself around and just caught Ghoel in the act of licking her. His tongue still dangling right in front of her, Leia sought to grab it and pull the creature down with it. Unfortunately that tongue was more slimy than it appeared, which was why it slipped from her grip.

With saliva on her shoulders and hands, Leia shuddered with utmost disgust. "Ewe..." If things couldn't have gotten any worse, Leia got the sense that Jabba was waking up. Anticipating Sarious again, Leia twisted herself about and tried to keep both of those creatures in sight. It was then that the one from behind grabbed the frustrated Leia and pulled her into an embrace.

His hand rubbing her exposed abdomen, Leia tried brushing his stubby arms away to no avail. Jabba's arms weren't very strong, especially for a creature his size, but he did have a frustrated Leia at a disadvantage because of the position she was in. All Jabba had to do was pin her against his body and she couldn't get enough leverage to break away.

Actually enjoying her resistance, Jabba chuckled and drew his new pet closer to his huge, gaping maw. "Ghoel has a wicked tongue, my princess. He only licks people he likes... which means he must like you."

"Does he? Splendid." Leia retorted, her sardonic tone quite apparent. The scantilly-clad Leia rolled her eyes back, realizing that this was going to be just another day in paradise.

Leia genuinely tried to keep her mind on the task at hand, but she found it especially difficult to maintain her composure in the presence of a giant slug that handled her like some faithful pet. However, the one she was really resentful of in that moment was Han. Surprisingly she wasn't so angry at Jabba for what came naturally to Hutts as she was at Han for getting involved with Jabba in the first place. She knew it wasn't right to blame the man she loved for her misfortune, but Leia was in no position to take it out on Jabba. As long as he had Chewbacca and Han at his mercy, she was in no position to defy her new master. She didn't fear torture and death for herself, but Leia wasn't willing to have a close friend die because she was too embarrassed to wear a gold bikini and play slave girl for a day or two.

Unfortunately, it only made her predicament that much worse. And the more Jabba touched her, the more resentment she had for the man who was willing to sacrifice himself for her on Cloud City. As Jabba's hand trailed down from her exposed abdomen and towards the gold plate hanging from her waist, Leia braced for what she thought was coming. It was then that she closed her eyes and whispered, if only in the vein hope that he might take her seriously. "I swear that you'll regret this."

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Update: 8/2/11 (Sorry I've been busy)

Reviews are the fuel that make this project go.

Be sure to thank those who've reviewed.

His repulsive hand flush against the lower piece of Leia's bikini, feeling the etched face of the gold plate concealing her pelvis, Jabba could hardly believe one of Leia's reputation would be so submissive. He knew that reducing her to a pleasure slave genuinely made her miserable, but it just wasn't satisfying enough for him when Leia refused to fight back. If that wasn't enough to provoke her, maybe he just needed to go a little further.

As Jabba's stubby hand began to descend her exposed abdomen, Leia knew it sought to infiltrate the space between the metal plate and her flesh. At first Leia was so fearful of resisting that she was willing to allow Jabba to invade any part of her body. It was not her own safety, but Han and Chewie that she worried about. And the thought of what Jabba would do if she fought back was just too much to bear.

If it were just her own life on the line here, there would have been no way he'd so much as touch her without receiving a mortal wound in return. Unable to fit his fat fingers between the narrow space between the metal and her flesh, Jabba tried to forcibly subduct those vile extremities where they didn't belong. Ironically Leia's bikini proved a difficult lock for him to crack.

Suddenly Leia realized that she didn't want such a memory etched in her mind for the rest of her life. Playing the role of loyal servant was torturous enough as it was, but this was going too far. Feeling those stubby fingers trying to slip below the gold plate and between her legs was something she would not allow. Forgetting all about the mission, Leia knew she had to do whatever was necessary to protect herself.

Slapping that repulsive hand away from her groin, Leia made it clear to Jabba that she wouldn't allow herself be raped! Knowing that such defiance against _the master_ would likely result in punishment, she didn't care. In fact Leia almost hoped to receive some physical pain_. _At least being beaten or physically shattered would have allowed her some means of escape. Nothing was worse than this.

However Leia was unaware of what he really wanted. Although quite pleased with his newest possession, Jabba was rather disappointed by the shameful display of false obedience Leia had shown since she her introduction to this new life. She stripped herself naked before his guests, accepted the slave bikini, and had done virtually everything he demanded of her without putting up a shred of resistance.

Unfortunately obedience wasn't what Jabba had sought at this point. He knew that Leia wasn't the kind who would so easily give in to fear, yet she had so far refused to defy him. When breaking in new servants, Jabba found they reacted one of two ways... neither of which Leia conformed to. Slaves such as Lyn Me had a rigid and obedient posture, and who's eyes betrayed the very fear within her soul. Servants such as Leia were what Jabba generally favored, as they were proud and defiant to resist their master's commands... fighting back violently, only to be beaten back down again. Jabba took a sadistic pleasure when it came to breaking in new slaves... shattering their souls and twisting their will into acknowledging his dominance.

He had high hopes for Leia, yet she has shown little fear or humiliation thus far. Jabba knew it was there, but that it just required some additional provocation on his part. After finally getting a response from Leia, Jabba was quite satisfied to see she did indeed have some physical limits. Before trying to stroke her again, Jabba needed a moment to study her behavior. Observing her every movement, Jabba felt he could learn a lot about a slave without having exactly to provoke her. Maybe he also enjoyed thinking of how much admiration he'd get for owning such a magnificent specimen.

Princess Leia would have been worth a lot of money to anyone wishing to have her... yet she practically gave herself to him. Nothing in the galaxy came free, yet there she was... flesh and soul belonging only to him. Leia was worth so much more to him because she was more like a symbol of his brilliance. Taking Han Solo prisoner was the perfect way of luring his friends in to be captured as well. The Correlian smuggler was worth really very little to Jabba, but Luke and Leia were each worth a fortune to the Empire. He had originally planned to keep Leia chained up for a few weeks and then turn her over for the Empire's two million-credit reward, but he felt she deserved a better fate than to be executed at the hands of the Empire.

_And it certainly would have been a shame to waste such a fine slave..._ Jabba thought as he extended his arm to rub the back of his captive princess again. Leia didn't slap it away this time, but her body language showed how repulsed she really was.

Leia didn't say anything... she just got extremely agitated the more and more Jabba kept trying to rub her body. She had accepted that the Hutt was in control... at least for the moment, but it didn't mean she had to do as he wanted. Leia learned long ago not to underestimate the consequences of defying a Hutt, which was why she had been willing to go this far and play along with Jabba's sick little fantasy. However this was too sickening for her to endure. Each time Jabba's hands went where they didn't belong, she kept slapping them away.

As this continued over the next few minutes, Leia seriously began wonder whether she could endure Jabba's servitude for very long. It hadn't even been a full day and already she was confronting the prospect of being raped. What made her predicament all that much more complicated wasn't merely her life at stake, which was why she yielded to Jabba's authority. Unfortunately there were certain lines she absolutely would not cross... lines of which Jabba seemed all to eager to force upon her.

She hated being Jabba's slave almost as much as she hated being held captive on the Death Star. At least the Empire had the decency to limit itself only to physical and mental punishment when it came to the treatment of their prisoners, but Hutts had their own form of cruelty, limited only to the extent of their imagination. And there was nothing Leia feared or hated more than people with imagination and power.

She heard horrible tales that ranged from the capturing of an important rebel heroine a little over a decade ago. While pregnant, she was enslaved by the Hutt until giving birth, only to be turned over to the Empire. Having one's own child live forever as a slave while being turned over to be executed must have been the worst fate any mother could endure.

Other stories she'd heard were of people who'd been executed in the most gruesome ways. Some victims had their own body parts amputated and fed to a Kell dragon while they were forced to watch. Just the thought of watching one's flesh being removed and chewed up piece by piece... it was like making the victim witness his own death.

Leia almost regret that Lando had a way out for her. If there were simply no means of escape, then it would have seemed so much easier to endure such torture. But with Luke, Han, and Chewie all depending on her and Lando to come through... she couldn't leave Luke to save everyone on his own.

All the while, Jabba's cooing noises only heightened her frustration. Slapping him away each time he sought her flesh, Leia couldn't figure why the hell he wasn't being more forceful about this. It was as though he perceived her as a wild beast that needed to be tamed!

Leia knew this because this reminded her of a beloved Felucian bunny-cat that once belonged to her. Tyri was her name, and she was Leia's pet... she took to no one else. Leia remembered the way that Tyri would bite any who sought to touch or handle her. Leia felt she understood that Tyri didn't bite all that hard, as it was her way of saying she didn't wish to be handled.

Leia allowed Tyri to bite, accepting the pain, but refusing to flinch. She wanted the tormented creature to know there was nothing to be afraid of, which was why she let Tyri do what came naturally when her kind felt threatened. Eventually Tyri learned to trust Leia, allowing her to be stroked and handled in ways no one other than Leia could. Despite this, Tyri remained distrustful of other people, those who didn't know the right way to handle her.

It had been a long time since Leia thought about Tyri. She was Leia's pet for almost six years, often traveling with Leia and her adopted father during extended journeys. And although it was a small relief to her that Tyri was left safely on Alderaan instead on the Tantive IV when it was captured, her beloved pet was doomed in any event. Leia sometimes wondered what it would have been like if Tyri were with her on that fateful day.

When Alderaan was destroyed, there were so many other losses that Tyri hardly brushed her mind. Although she genuinely loved that Felucian bunny-cat as if she were a family member, Leia thought it was selfish to grieve over an animal. With the overwhelming mass slaughter that day, any grief over Tyri was eclipsed by everything else. Still she couldn't help imagining how dreadful it would have been if Vader had brutally destroyed her beloved pet during an interrogation session. It was almost as dreadful as a though as doing it herself... to spare Tyri the same terrible fate as her master.

As she thought more and more about her dead companion, Leia really wished Tyri were still alive. It just would have been nice to know at least one element of her past survived. Unfortunately as Leia's mind wandered, she found Jabba's stubby fingers rolling down her bare back for some time without her notice.

As Jabba cooed again, his low voice made Leia react exactly opposite of how he had intended. Shuddering at the way his skin made her body flush, Leia used her elbow to brush him away again. At that point she'd had enough, much preferring torture over this humiliation. Twisting herself around, Leia shouted rebelliously. "Haven't you got anything better to do?"

Glad to finally provoke such a daring response from his slave, Jabba chuckled with great satisfaction and grabbed the chain that bound Leia to him. Although Leia had grabbed onto the collar so that he couldn't choke her with it, the Hutt had merely to pull the leash to draw her into his slimy clutches.

Despite her best efforts to resist, Leia found it to be a tug of war she couldn't win. Bringing her ever closer to his gaping maw, Leia seriously feared having her head pulled inside. A startled gasp leaving her mouth, Leia unintentionally inhaled some the most vile fumes which escaped the pit of his body. After seemingly retching the stench from her lungs, Leia twisted her head away and gulped as much fresh air as possible before having to face Jabba again.

With much of her body pressed against the Hutt's flesh, Leia fought with everything she had in a desperate struggle to pull away. It was then that he spoke very passionately to her in Hutteese. "Now now, my Princess. Is that any way to talk back to your master?"

Unwilling to give him any more satisfaction, Leia whispered. "Go to hell."

"Feisty, today, aren't we? You were so well behaved last night that I actually was thinking of letting you off the leash for a while. Perhaps I should reconsider?"

Leia wanted more than anything to have that damned leash removed, if only to get away from Jabba for a while. She knew that nothing good could possibly come out of Jabba's mouth, yet she was unwilling to throw away a chance like that. She just remained silent and stopped resisting, hoping that maybe it would satify the slug.

Knowing he had Leia's interest, Jabba patted the side of her face in an affectionate way. "Maybe, Princess. Maybe." As his palm touched her left cheek, Leia furrowed her brow, hating every moment of this. Jabba noticed the way Leia's face scrunched up and thought it would be amusing to continue patting her cheek to great excess.

The gesture wasn't the least bit hurtful, but it drove Leia to the most extreme levels of annoyance as he did it to great excess. Moments of enduring the Hutt's palm against her cheek, Leia's face began turning red, and Jabba chuckled from the amusement. Leia was just about ready to shriek when something else drew the Hutt's attention away.

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Next chapter is coming up... _right now._


	7. Fett

8/2/11: I'm sorry for not getting to this sooner. I guess I was hoping to see more reviews. Yeah that's petty of me, but considering as I have a life of my own, a few comments from readers is really the only reward I get for posting these. Considering how many hours it takes to write these, is a minute of your time for a review too much to ask?

PS: I updated the last chapter, so you might want to read that as well. Jabba has some fun at Leia's expense.

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**Fett**

Bib Fortuna was Jabba's majordomo, and while most believed him to be just another of the Hutt's obedient lackeys, Fortuna actually was first in line to take control of Jabba's criminal empire in the event of his death. Genuinely despising Jabba for treating him like just another servant, Bib deliberately disrupted the Hutt's sick little game, redirecting his attention onto more important matters.

Having been set back in her previous place on the throne, Leia closed her eyes and desperately sought to regain her composure. With absolutely no idea what Jabba had in store for her, all that she could do was try and recuperate from such incidents of psychological trauma whenever possible. This was no doubt going to be the most unpleasant experience she would ever have to endure, and Leia knew she needed to accept what was probably inevitable. Being Jabba's property meant that she could be violated in any way and at any moment.

It wasn't fear so much as dread that went through her mind. Leia knew that she would live through this hellish place, yet couldn't know for uncertain what condition she'd be in after it was over. If that was what it took to save Han and Chewie... the problem was that _pleasing_ Jabba did nothing to help their rescue effort. She cringed inside, deeply regretting freeing Han and getting caught. Maybe Jabba might have captured her in any event, but it at least wouldn't have been due to any fault of her own. Ever since, she couldn't stop cursing herself for falling into such an obvious trap.

And although thankful for the brief diversion on Bib's part, Leia didn't pay much attention to the conversation until the twi'lek uttered something she could vaguely understand. "Master, he says he has information on the Jedi."

Hearing 'Jedi,' Leia's spirit instantly rose to new high. Whatever this was about, she wanted to hear it. Had Luke already arrived?

To Leia's surprise, Jabba didn't seem the least bit interested in hearing the information. He grabbed the twi'lek by the neck and barked at him. "Unless Boba has a body to deliver, he can take it up with you! He knows I don't do business this early in the day!"

After being shoved into the wall, Fortuna lightly brushed himself off and nervously answered. "Very well, I will... well I'll tell him that."

As Bib made his way around the corner of the throne room and out of sight, Leia glanced back at Jabba and silently cursed him. She was quite frustrated that the Hutt could just turn away information that he could otherwise use to his advantage. She would have wanted to hear any news about Luke. It also drove her to extreme levels of frustration to wonder how such a lazy and incompetent criminal can generate so much trouble in the galaxy. How could it be that Jabba could care less about a potential threat than in fondling his scantly-clad slave girl again. "Now Princess, where were we?"

Bracing herself for another unpleasant exchange with Jabba, it was again disrupted by Bib Fortuna. Only this time he came crashing down the stairway and plopping onto the floor at the far end of the throne room. Groaning in pain after taking a blow to the face, excitement stirred up the chamber. Most of the guards present were either asleep or debilitated with hangovers, but at least two of the Gamorians had scrambled to their feet and stood ready to secure the entrance. Of the other two dozen or so spectators present, some merely raised their heads and went back to sleep. A few who knew they weren't being paid to observe tried to scramble to their feet, but were still too drunk to fight.

Leia almost believed it was Luke by the sheer power of the attacker, but somehow knew for certain it couldn't have been. Although perfectly capable of knocking out Fortuna in such a manner, it wasn't in his character to just commit random acts of violence. From the foot of Jabba's throne, she could only see the shadow of a man as he descended the stairway and approached the chamber entrance.

As quickly they stood ready to defend their master from the interloper did the two Gamorians lower their axes and allow the invader to enter. Stepping over the stunned twi'lek, a man clad in full Mandalorian armour directed a few words spoken through his helmet's intercom device. "Do as you're instructed next time like an obedient lackey."

To Leia's dismay, it was that bounty hunter she knew all too well. Concealed fully within a suit of Mandalorian armour, the mask was the only face Boba Fett ever showed to the galaxy. Rugged and worn by years of use, Leia found it hard to believe a man could exist within that metal shell. It was much less like armour and more like a form-fitted cocoon conforming to his body like an exoskeleton.

Leia of course had more than her share of bitterness towards Fett. Furrowing her brow upon catching sight of the bounty hunter, Leia wished she could properly express her contempt for what he had done. Anyone willing to turn a good man like Han over to a monster like Jabba for credits...

It was then that Leia felt a slight tug on the chain that bound her to Jabba's throne. It wasn't painfully hard, but the jerking of the leash seemed to remind the enslaved princess of exactly where she was and her attire. Staring at Fett, covered from head to toe in armour, it was a vast contrast to her slave outfit, which barely covered anything. It wasn't simply modesty that came to mind, but the way in which his suit seemed to inspire fear while hers was made to portray exactly the opposite. Glancing down again at herself, remembering how the gold bikini and leash symbolized her as a lowly slave, Leia just kept her head down and avoided making eye contact with Fett while she was in that condition.

Upon entering the throne room, Fett often took a brief moment to appreciate 'Jabba's favorite decoration,' considering as it was he who delivered Han to the vile gangster. Fett's attention this time was almost entirely focused on the block of carbonite, realizing that Han's likeness no longer etched its face. With only the indentation of a man left in the block, Fett knew it meant Captain Solo was loose.

Although he had already received a quarter million credits for the bounty, Boba rather admired the carbonite sculpture of Han in captivity. Considering how elusive he was to capture in the first place, Fett didn't like seeing the fruit of his efforts go to waste by Jabba's sheer incompetence. The last thing he would have wanted was to see Han escape yet again.

Only when Jabba addressed the bounty hunter did Boba turn his attention away from the carbonite slab. "Boba, you missed quite the celebration last night. I had initiated a princess into my service and felt she deserved nothing short of a proper coronation." Tugging on the chain that bound her, Jabba forced Leia to lift her head so Boba could see her face. "What do you think?"

Although she couldn't see any facial expression, Leia almost thought that Fett seemed less concerned about her than his business with Jabba. Even his tone seemed to portray little interest. "Very pretty, sir."

Jabba then rubbed her shoulder and whispered. "Princess, say hello to the bounty hunter."

Leia just rolled her eyes back and frowned, not directing the expression at anyone in particular. _What kind of stupid request was that?_

It was then that Fett answered for her. "We're acquainted." Turning his attention back to Jabba, he skipped the pleasantries and got directly to business. "Jabba, I have news of Solo's other companion, the Jedi, Skywalker."

Hearing Luke's name, Leia was anxious to hear of what had become of him. Jabba seemed irritated to hear the same warning, and took out his frustration by jerking Leia's chain again. "Boba... I find your concern for my safety is touching, but unwarranted. I am quite capable of taking care of myself."

Fett folded his arms over his chest and continued. "With respect sir, I believe you underestimate the threat this boy poses. According to the holo message he gave to you, Skywalker admitted himself to be a Jedi... I'm convinced he is, and a very powerful one from what I've observed."

Jabba carelessly brushed off the warning. "I know how to deal with Jedi, Fett. Actually I'm hoping that Skywalker is foolish enough to come here. I'm prepared to take him as easily as I did Solo's other companion." Pulling Leia against his bloated body and rubbing the top of her head, Jabba wanted to torment her a little more. "Isn't that right, Princess?"

Fett stared at Leia for a brief moment and then realized that Jabba's situation might already have been out of control. "Perhaps you should fill me in on the details. Where is Captain Solo now?"

"Sadly, the dear princess here did something unforgivable: she released the good captain. I've been left with no choice other than to keep him in my dungeon until I figure out what to do with him." Jabba then started rubbing her exposed midriff. "Fortunately I've been in need of a replacement for Oola and had a perfect specimen for the taking..."

Fett didn't seem to appreciate Leia in the way that Jabba did, which was why he interrupted to get back to business. "Well in the meantime, she is now in a perfect position to overhear your plans. What you've taken into your possession probably isn't a servant at all, but an enemy informant."

Leia couldn't exactly fathom any sane plan which involved being captured and turned into a pleasure slave, yet that had to be her new role for the rest of the mission. The irony was that she was indeed in a perfect place to gather information to use against Jabba, as he already believed she was helpless and at his mercy. And with Jabba's over inflated ego, he just might have been reckless enough to reveal his dirtiest secrets to her.

Jabba continued. "I remember when I consulted with you about Boushh's doppleganger... you suggested that I wait and watch to see her next move before proceeding to capture her. I wanted to just take her the instant she set foot in my palace, but I listened to your advice and look what it's cost me." Jabba gestured to the block of carbonite, of which had yet to be disposed of. "As far as rescue operations go, this turned out to be a very poor example of one. I was expecting something much more clever than this." Rubbing Leia's bare shoulders, Jabba liked showing off his prize. "Now I have the princess, Captain Solo, and the wookie. If Skywalker is stupid enough to come here as well, he'll find himself all alone."

As Leia comprehended what Jabba described about their rescue mission, she suddenly felt a lot less confident than ever before. As painful it was to accept, Luke was counting on her to come through for their rescue operation. The whole purpose of giving Chewbacca to Jabba was to strategically place her within the enemy's circle, but her capture had only made a bad situation that much worse. Not only did Leia's capture make her a liability, but it also meant that Chewie's sacrifice was made in vain.

Fett, not taking a blow to his confidence, retorted. "I still wouldn't underestimate her. There are other matters in which we need to discuss, and I don't want her overhearing everything."

Jabba paid no heed to Fett's caution. "If it's safe enough to share in front of my guards, then it's safe enough for my servants. The princess isn't going anywhere, nor does she have anyone else to help her. She's not going anywhere."

What followed between them was a long conversation that included several details Leia happily took her. Keeping her head down most of the time, she didn't want to give either of them any sign that she was listening. The only face she showed was that of a lowly pleasure slave belonging to Jabba.

Unfortunately there was one piece of news that she took with little enthusiasm... according to Fett, Luke was involved in an operation to defuse a war between two rival crime families. Apparently Luke wasn't likely to get to the bottom of an investigation for at least a few more days.

And so Jabba offered him a room to stay until Luke had arrived, an invitation that Fett happily accepted. By the time Jabba was demanding his breakfast, Leia's head couldn't have been any lower. Left with quite a significant level of dread and bitterness over learning why Luke was delayed, Leia silently cursed him for his _Jedi_ nature. It was exactly the kind of thing about Luke she loved about him, yet it was exactly the kind of thing which got him involved in some completely unrelated conflict while she would be left to rot in a slave bikini for several more days.

Something of a minor relief, Jabba ordered another of his slaves be brought in to relieve Leia of her duty on the throne. She was quite glad to be free of Jabba... if only for a short while.

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PS: I'll try and get this updated more frequently, but I've also had a long drought of creativity. I'll try and get my muse back in order. Thanks to those who've reviewed!


	8. Family (New Chapter)

An update… finally!

Alright it's been quite some time since I've updated this story, and I'm sure most have given up hope. The truth is that I haven't found my muse for the longest time, and I'm trying desperately to revive it. Here is the first part of a new chapter that will somewhat explore the life of a slave. I've introduced some characters that will become more prominent as the story progresses. I also hope to do some artwork to accompany this, but I'll start out one step at a time. Please forgive any mistakes or poor grammar, as I'm out of practice.

Thanks for all the reviews. They really help to keep this story alive.

Chapter 8: Pt 1

Leia complied as a Weequay guard escorted her down a dark, narrow corridor leading deeper into the underground levels of Jabba's palace. Despite not knowing her destination, Leia was glad to be anywhere other than with the Hutt. Unfortunately the temperature within the lower levels became increasingly less bearable. Even if she weren't clad in a bikini, this place still would have been uncomfortably cold.

As they reached the end of a long passageway, the guard unlocked a door and casually shoved her inside. Leia glanced back and gave the Weequay a dirty look as the door slid itself shut with a merciless hiss. Upon hearing the lock engage behind her, Leia took another moment to contemplate what she has gotten herself into... every sight and sound in that place seemed to torment her.

It was then that she wrapped her arms around her bare abdomen in a vain attempt to keep warm, shaking almost convulsively from the cold. It was only after turning about that the scantly-clad fallen princess froze, finding herself locked in a cell with other women, all eyes fixed upon her.

Leia knew instantly that they were slaves, evident by their skimpy outfits and the collars around their necks. If that wasn't obvious enough, all of them were quite beautiful, all species aesthetically pleasing to any slave owner - two other humans, two Twi'leks, a Zabrak, and a Zeltron... all of them were quite striking.

There was only a single table within the chamber, along with a pair of stone benches on each side, and a sleeping area. This chamber, which she assumed to be the slave quarters, was carved out of the rock with only the most basic necessities. Both the benches and table were probably carved out of the same rock as the walls that surrounded them, and were of extremely primitive design. Virtually everything in the room was akin to stone-age craftsmanship, with the light fixtures and door as the only pieces of modern technology retrofitted into the rock.

The Zeltron woman was the first to introduce herself. Despite appearing much older than Leia, this woman seemed especially beautiful _because_ of her advanced years. Her most striking feature was the long, silvery hair of which flowed loosely over her shoulders. She wore a slave bikini that strongly resembled Leia's, comprised of a brassiere fastened around her neck and tied behind the back with string. The lower piece was likewise made of a white, rigid material, but without a skirt. Instead she had white cape-like sashes that ran down her back and attached to a pair of silver bracelets at her wrists.

Even before speaking a word, Leia could almost feel this woman's gentle soul... her years of wisdom and the tenderness of a loving mother's heart. Even from the way she smiled, it was as if Leia could read this woman's deepest feelings. It was a kind of desperate joy that only the damned could know, as it only happened when another unfortunate soul was condemned to share such a terrible fate.

"I'm Anij." she spoke in a tone almost as warm as her smile. "You must be the new slave we've been hearing about. Is it true that you're a princess?"

"I was once... but not anymore." Leia answered honestly. Given as her world was destroyed, such titles no longer applied.

Anij couldn't help but smile at that answer. "It's good that you recognize that. It's always hard to accept when one's old life is gone and that you'll be here for the rest of your life." The Zeltron gestured to a human slave of whom was hunched in a corner. "Diana's been with us for over a month, and she's still learning that lesson the hard way."

"What lesson?" Leia asked.

Anij's smile faded, realizing that Leia didn't understand. "That you're no longer a princess. You're a slave now, like us. It's especially hard for one such as you to accept what's happened... going from ordering servants about to becoming one yourself." She paused a moment, trying to block out a memory she wished to forget.

Leia noticed the way she clenched her fists after uttering those words, clearly holding back a lot of repressed rage.

Anij however was quick to bring herself back into the moment, turning her focus back onto the new slave. "I know this isn't going to be easy for you, but it's something that we all have to go through." Turning her eyes back onto the human, Anij continued. "Diana's still holding out hope that she'll be rescued, and it's making everyone miserable."

Diana, who appeared only a little younger than Leia, wore a much less revealing outfit than the other slaves. It was a black skintight body glove which complimented her trim figure and flattered her curves as if it were a second skin. "Yeah, but a few beatings seemed to do the trick."

Anij couldn't help but smile, turning back to face Leia. "It is somewhat amusing the way she'd rebel against Master Jabba, but won't dare to oppose the rest of us."

"I'm not sure I understand." Leia inquired.

Anij realized that she got too far ahead of herself, and needed to share some important details before they could go any further. Unfortunately there was so much to share that she needed a moment to gather her thoughts. Upon finding the best place to begin, Anij placed her hands on her hips and turned to face Leia. "We're all slaves here. We are the property of Master Jabba... that's how you must address him. The six of us..." Realizing she miscounted, Anij gestured to Leia to correct herself. "The seven of us are Master Jabba's most prized servants. We're the lucky few who need not fear being fed to the Rancor."

"What about the others? I must have seen at least a dozen others at the party last night."

Anij closed her eyes and sighed in annoyance from being interrupted. "I'm getting to that."

Leia raised her hands in an apologetic manner, not wishing to needlessly provoke Anij. "Sorry... sorry."

It was then that Anij reached to brush away a few strands of hair from her eyes. She then took a brief moment to examine Leia from head to toe, studying this new girl to try and figure out what to make of her. Staring at one so youthful as Leia, Anij couldn't help but be reminded of her advanced years.

Realizing that Leia has been standing for some time, Anij wished to bring the conversion to an end. "We only have one another here, which is why we must look out for each other. When one misbehaves, the rest of us suffer. Do you understand?"

Leia turned her attention to the other women staring at her and nervously answered. "Yes, I understand."

Despite knowing it wasn't going to be easy for a princess to adjust to a life of servitude, Anij still smiled and nodded politely. "Good. Now perhaps you'd like to meet your new family?" Gesturing to the others in the chamber, Anij first brought Leia over to join the group seated at the only table in the chamber.

Anij gestured first to the Zabrak. "This is Duqua Pyne." At almost two meters in height, Duqua stood almost a full head above Leia as she stood to introduce herself. She wore a one-piece outfit of which prominently displayed her muscular build. While adorned with beads and silver studs that glistened even under the dim lighting, her outfit seemed a practical design which balanced form with function. Leia looked over her face and found this woman to be quite pretty. With short black hair tied back and red facial tattoos standing out noticeably, the horns on top of her head framed her delicate face quite nicely.

Anij gestured to the two twi'leks. "These are Falere and Rila... twin sisters."

As Duqua stood up to offer Leia her seat at the table, Leia's eyes gravitated to the other human slave of whom had been sitting next to her. Although Leia had been aware of that woman from the moment she walked into the chamber, it wasn't until then that she was allowed a glimpse of her full figure. Prominently sticking out of her bikini was a pregnant belly. Leia tried not to stare, but couldn't quite pry her eyes away from the sight of a pregnant slave well into her third trimester.

The young woman of whom appeared to be of Leia's age introduced herself. "I'm Malare." Her outfit, of which closely resembled a swimsuit from Spyra, was a green two piece with sparkling patches of gold, silver and blue which glittered brightly under the lights. It also had a long blue cape-like sash hanging from her bikini's shoulder strap with small sashes connecting to wrist bracelets and to rings at her hips.

Nodding to Malare in acknowledgment, Anij gestured Leia to take the empty seat so that they could continue with introductions. Leia was again reminded of how much she hated her bikini, as that gold plate in the back made simple acts like sitting most uncomfortable. However she did as she was told and took the open seat next to Malare, Anij taking hers on the opposite side of the table.

Leia couldn't help but inquire about the woman sitting next to her. "When are you due?"

Malare's eyes were drawn down to her exposed belly. "Another month... maybe sooner."

Diana, now sitting behind Leia and Malare, spat out. "Yeah I'm surprised that she's not counting down her days. Once she pops that thing out, she's leaving us."

Neither Malare or Anij were amused by Diana's complaint, but both kept silent... just to avoid another shouting match. Leia could clearly see great tension between Diana and Malare, of which she didn't yet understand.

Malare lowered her head and stared down upon her form with a very somber expression, holding her swollen belly. "I'm pregnant with Aron Ra's grandson. He's a fairly prominent crime boss operating on Ord Mantell. Jabba intends to ransom me after I've given birth... and then ransom my son after that."

"Two hostages instead of one." Leia grimly stated.

"It gets worse than that." Malare continued. "I'm not Ra's daughter... I was married to his son. He also doesn't know that I'm still alive. Once I've given birth, Jabba's going to try and bargain me for the highest price that Ra is willing to pay. After that, he can demand an even higher price for my child... his own flesh and blood." She paused a moment, trying to maintain her composure. "And then after exhausting Ra's fortune, Jabba hopes it will weaken him enough to overtake his organization."

Diana shot out another venomous retort. "And after that, she gets to dish out a meager living while the rest of us remain enslaved forever. And she expects us to feel sorry for her..."

Anij took control of the matter. "Diana, enough. Your childish attitude is getting extremely tiresome..." She sighed and turned her attention back to Leia. "Diana's the daughter of a prominent warlord operating off Hargeeva, and he won't negotiate for her release... some code that they follow. Jabba wanted only to show that he could infiltrate any fortress. He took Diana as a trophy."

Leia could see where this was going. "So everyone here has a unique story to tell? Everyone was once very important in their old lives?"

"No, not everyone." Anij started, but paused a moment to collect her thoughts. Realizing that Leia was completely ignorant of the workings of Jabba's palace, she knew that she had to start from the beginning. "Master Jabba maintains a harem of anywhere from twenty to thirty slaves within his palace, all of whom are subdivided into three groups. Those within the lowest ranks are typically just innocent victims of whom don't possess any skills... most of us start out at this lowest rank. They're afforded no privileges and Master Jabba will often be very cruel to them. Second class slaves are those who've won the Hutt's favor and are afforded some limited benefits."

"What kind of benefits?" Leia inquired.

Anij sighed and folded her arms across her chest, trying to find a diplomatic way to justify some very barbaric practices. "Let's just say that the life of a third class slave is hell. They have the shortest life expectancy, and are subjected to the fullest range of brutality. If you're fortunate enough to survive all that... and if Master Jabba is happy with you, he may see fit to make you a second class servant. They're still under threat of being fed to the rancor, but that only happens if you've given him good reason to do so. It's not easy, but it's at least bearable."

"And we're the first-class slaves, I presume?"

Anij closed her eyes and nodded, obviously uncomfortable about describing the group of which she belonged. "Yeah, we're Master Jabba's favorites. Unlike the others our primary purpose isn't to act as laborers, but as symbols. After all what better way is there to display one's power than to have a princess such as you chained to his throne?"

Leia became increasingly agitated at being reminded of her former title, and corrected Anij again. "I told you, I'm no longer a princess."

Anij smiled. "And it's good that you recognize that. Because in here, we're all equals... I hope that you can appreciate that we may not have been rich or privileged like you, but you'd find that we all have a rich history that I'm sure you can appreciate."

Leia couldn't help noticing the condescending demeanor of the other slaves as Anij described her heritage. They all probably saw Leia exactly as they saw their own master... rich, privileged, probably ordering her slaves around as if they were mindless drones. While Leia could sympathize for what they've endured, she didn't exactly appreciate the way in which they perceived her. However Leia didn't interrupt Anij's condescension speech, as she didn't wish to generate conflict over something so trivial as this. Leia never really was just a spoiled girl who enjoyed a life of luxury like Jabba, but one who used her vast fortune to free such people from the Empire. However she could understand why the others would even take joy over watching one such as herself be reduced from a master to a slave.

Anij continued. "Don't expect to be treated any different here. When Master Jabba gives you an order, you will follow it to the best of your abilities. You will show him the same respect as you'd expect from one of your servants. If you have any questions, you come to us. If you need help, we'll do our best, but don't expect any of us to do your work for you."

Leia also couldn't help noticing that, despite her initial impression of Anij, that the older woman became increasingly unsympathetic towards her the longer she spoke. It was almost as if she believed Leia deserved to be in her slave bikini and ordered about more than anyone else in that room. Leia tried not to let it get to her, but Anij's words genuinely stung.

To be continued...

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Author's notes: here is where I really want the story to start off. Now that Leia's been indoctrinated, I'm going to be making Anij the second main character within this story. I'll not spoil anything for you, but this story is about to seriously expand beyond just a story of Leia's slavery. Hopefully I'll get the full expanse of my imagination translated into words, and I look forward to reading your future reviews.

Thanks again and I'm sorry it took me so long to get this project back on track.


	9. A Tour of Jabba's Palace

Dear loyal readers:

I just want to thank everyone who actually takes the time to write reviews for my stories. Considering they're just about all the reward I get for posting these online, would a few minutes of your time really be so much to ask? If you have any suggestions, comments, criticisms, or if you just want to express your gratitude, I assure you that PM's and reviews really do help to make this story progress that much faster. I may not respond to each one, but I do read them all and feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

Speaking of which, I'm happy to report that I've found my muse again. I've since finished almost another two chapters of this story (Leia will soon dance for Jabba!) and have decided to start another one that will center around Anij's past. In writing this story I've come to love this original character so much that I feel she deserves a story of her own. I'll let everyone know when I publish it and have a proper title. I won't go into detail yet, as it may spoil what's to come for this story. What I will say is that Anij is going to become a very rich character, and an extremely tragic one.

Again thank you for reading, and thanks especially to those who post reviews.

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Chapter 9

Leia couldn't remember feeling so utterly exposed in all her life. It was almost as though this Zeltron slave knew exactly what to say to inflict the maximum amount of pain upon Leia's soul. Considering that she had dedicated her life to fighting for those who couldn't defend themselves, Leia knew she didn't deserve such scorn from the likes of Anij. And yet all this had enlightened her of a matter that never really entered her mind before. Leia never really had experienced what it meant to be enslaved... being reduced to the lowest of all social statuses, having one's life stolen away, and to be treated little better than a domesticated animal.

An hour had passed since being relieved of her place on Jabba's throne, and yet Anij continued lecturing the fallen princess of Alderaan on the rules of Jabba's palace. Leia noticed that the other slaves preferred to remain silent... obviously trained not to speak unless spoken to by their master. Anij on the other hand seemed to relish covering any and every subject that may have been important for Leia to know. After a while Leia began tuning out the Zeltron, as she couldn't care less about little details of which she never intended to learn.

It wasn't too long before Anij began leading Leia throughout the palace, or rather the areas of which Leia would be expected to serve her master or his guests. While Jabba's palace wasn't especially large compared to some of the more prominent Hutt crime lords, it was still easy to get lost in.

Leading Leia on, Anij spoke as though she's done this dozens of times. "Although you'll have free reign of the palace, there are several areas of which are explicitly prohibited. Given as we're not expected to operate within the Motor pool or anywhere near the power station, our collars are programmed to keep us from venturing beyond certain checkpoints." It was then that they approached a metal door with an electronic sensor above it, of which Anij gestured her head to draw Leia's attention. "If you should enter a restricted area, your collar will become active... but it won't start shocking you for several seconds. At that point if you don't return to a safe zone, it will trigger an alarm and then begin inflicting painful shocks until you're fully immobilized."

That rather significant detail caught Leia off guard was the part about having free-reign access to the entire palace. It was then that she inquired about the door they just passed.

"That one leads down to the lower chambers. Droid workshops, dungeons, food cellars... nothing you need concern yourself with." Anij answered. "Everything from down there is delivered to us in the kitchens by droids and other such laborers. So you need not worry about breaking your back, because you won't be expected to..."

Of course Leia couldn't have cared any less about how the food service operated within the palace, now having her thoughts almost entirely on the prospect of trying to free Han again. Unfortunately the captive princess realized that she couldn't reach the dungeons unless she's done something about that damned collar. However that didn't keep her from fixing her attention on the door, wishing so much to venture into the lower levels. She wished only to find Han and tell him that she was alright.

It was then that Anij extended her hand across Leia's back and gently shoved her forward. "We can't go down there. Please, Princess, we still have a lot more for you to see and not much time for me to cover everything."

Leia did as she was told and continued pressing forward, Anij continued spouting off details that Leia couldn't give a damn about. While Leia feigned undivided attention, all that she could think about in that moment was Han. Despite their brief meeting the previous evening, it had in fact been several months since she was last with the Corellian smuggler. Passing by that door was actually quite painful, knowing how so very close they were... and yet he still might as well have been half a galaxy away.

Once there was a time where nothing could get between them, but now she's gotten used to Han not being around. Even after all that's happened she still couldn't stop wondering what caused everything to go so terribly wrong for all her closest friends. No doubt that it all began with the Empire's discovery of Echo base back on Hoth, leading up to the massive battle forced her to evacuate the planet with Han and Chewie aboard the _Falcon_.

Then what should have been only a quick detour had instead turned into a massive ordeal of life and death after the _Falcon_'s hyperdrive was found inoperable. After spending several days avoiding detection within Hoth's asteroid field, they somehow managed to evade the Empire long enough to make it all the way to Cloud City... only to be sold out by Lando. Then Han was imprisoned within a carbonite tomb and given to Fett, where he collected a huge bounty from Jabba, despite all their efforts to stop him.

And so now she's now wearing a gold bikini and serving the Hutt responsible for all this. Actually it was because she had allowed her emotions to override her judgment, causing her to act brashly and without any concern for the consequences. And now being this close to Han yet again was all that occupied her thoughts... it was in that moment that Leia knew she couldn't wait for Luke to arrive. Unfortunately her impatience was a curse that would no doubt lead her into yet another mess exactly as it has before.

Venturing deeper into her thoughts, Leia considered the events after Hoth and wondered how much more or less dire their situation would have been had certain actions played out differently. Would Han and Chewie have escaped Imperial forces if she hadn't been aboard the _Falcon_? She remembered how stressful those few days were as they all tried desperately to repair the hyperdrive, each of them haunted by the knowledge that a fleet of star destroyers were hunting them relentlessly. Leia remembered wondering why the Empire went to such extreme measures to capture just one ship, given that they couldn't possibly have even known at the time that she was aboard the _Falcon_. Only after meeting up with Luke did she learn that their entire ordeal was all about Vader trying to seduce him to the dark side... whatever that was supposed to mean.

Maybe had she not gone along with playing Boushh and giving up Chewie to Jabba? Maybe had she controlled herself better and stuck with the plan? Then again, Jabba probably already knew that she wasn't really the Ubese bounty hunter she pretended to be. Maybe she was doomed to this fate from the moment she set foot in the palace. If that were so, then her part in the whole plan was doomed to failure. And in the end she essentially gave up both herself and Chewie to Jabba for nothing. And that only seemed to make her present situation all that much worse.

However Leia knew that all wasn't lost, as both Luke and Lando were still in play and ready to do their parts. And as long as she had that much hope to sustain her, Leia knew she could endure a few days in Jabba's harem.

As Leia's thoughts drifted further and further away, Anij increasingly took notice. While the older woman could sense that the new slave had since stopped listening, the Zeltron allowed Leia to escape into her thoughts. And as long as the enslaved princess at least feigned attention, Anij saw no reason to break up what may have been Leia's only means of coping with the current situation. Having trained dozens of women of various species over her lifetime, Anij found it best not to impose upon the thoughts of others... losing their freedom alone was bad enough.

Anij knew better than anyone how seductive pleasant memories were and how easily one could escape reality by focusing intensely upon a pleasant fantasy. With enough time such memories eventually needed to be suppressed, as reality would eventually come crashing down. With enough time the happy memories that one clung to for heavenly comfort only served to contrast with hellish reality.

Only upon sensing such an intense bout of hope emanating from Leia did Anij change the subject. "Princess I don't wish to be cruel, but you really shouldn't cling to hope."

Of course Leia wasn't entirely paying attention, and she barely noticed that she had changed topics long ago. "I'm sorry, could you repeat that?"

Anij got in front and extended her hands to embrace Leia's shoulders in a serious attempt to comfort her. "Don't expect to be rescued. Many have tried; none have ever succeeded. This is your home now and nothing you do will ever change that."

Leia of course had no idea what caused Anij to suddenly change topics. She looked deep into the Zeltron's gray eyes, and saw genuine concern in her expression. Leia suddenly remembered that Anij's species were highly empathetic, and that she had probably been reading Leia's thoughts this entire time. Leia bit her bottom lip with a degree of embarrassment and tried not to act surprised. "Anij...?"

"If you've never met a Zeltron before, we can read people's emotions. Take it from one who's served Master Jabba longer than anyone... I've seen hope drive so many beyond the brink of insanity. You saw Diana back there, and you could tell how bitter she's become after only one year in this place. If she doesn't change her attitude, Master Jabba will find... other uses for her."

Leia didn't like where this was going. "Other uses?"

Anij nodded grimly and gestured Leia to follow her. "This is the part of the tour I least enjoy, but you need to know about some of the other slaves here. We're merely the Master's favorites, but Jabba has others." As Anij approached another unmarked door, she waited a moment to prepare Leia for what she was about to see. "What he's done to these women is... hideous."

Leia was slammed by a gut-wrenching fear... something beyond anything she's ever experienced in her life. Even as Alderaan was destroyed, it didn't seem to cause her as much torment or distress as Leia felt in that moment. And that while the annihilation of billions of innocent lives would seemingly make anything else pale in comparison, the act taken by Tarkin was at the very least brutally efficient and executed with complete indifference to the lost lives.

What tormented her so greatly of the Hutts was in their excessive cruelties. And so while whatever Jabba may have done to these slaves couldn't remotely compare to the destruction of an entire planet, what tormented Leia so greatly was to witness the truest extent of Jabba's sadism. As compared to vile individuals like the Emperor, who's sole pursuit was towards dominance and power; Hutts such as Jabba seemed just as committed to inflicting pain and suffering upon their enemies as they were towards advancing their greed.

Hovering her hand over the control panel of the second-class slave quarters, Anij exchanged a glance with Leia... each silently expressing fear over the possibility of sharing the same fate as the unfortunate souls confined within the chamber. Confirming that Leia was braced, the Zeltron touched the panel and the door slid open.

Anij lead the way in, gesturing for Leia to follow. Although deeply reluctant, Leia soon realized that Anij was in fact significantly more afraid to walk into that room than she was. Bracing herself for what was to come, Leia pulled the lower piece of her bikini back above her hips, took a deep breath, and then proceeded into the room right behind.

It was then that Leia could finally gaze upon the rest of Jabba's slave harem. As she had expected, it was a small chamber crammed with women of various species. Unlike the accommodations that she and a mere six other women shared, this chamber housed almost a dozen bodies in a space less than half the size as that of their quarters. Leia didn't seem to notice anything particularly horrifying as she was lead to believe, of which seemed to intensify her fear much more so than if they were hideously deformed.

Actually Leia did happen to notice at least two males among the group, each physically toned and very attractive to the female eye. Also she did take notice that one of the twi'leks had a cybernetic arm, of which may have simply been the result of an accident. Beyond that everything _seemed_ to be perfectly normal for a slave harem.

It took nearly a full moment for Leia to eventually notice the abnormalities. Many of the women in the chamber were very much awake, but none of them seemed to display any sign of thought. Despite the two of them walking in without warning, all of them maintained their seemingly meditative posture. Anij twisted her head around to meet Leia's eyes, confirming that the enslaved princess saw what was wrong.

Anij silently proceeded down the row of bunk beds until she found one particular servant. "Lyn Me" Anij softly spoke.

The pale-skinned Twi'lek slave whom Leia had met the previous night had been in a meditative stance, but the sound of her name shattered that concentration. Almost as a machine, Lyn scrambled from the top bunk she had occupied, and fell to her knees before a servant of superior rank. Leaning her head slightly forward and resting her open hands upon her thighs, Lyn spoke in a low, sensuous voice. "This one is ready to serve, my Mistress."

Anij took a brief glance at Leia, and then addressed the kneeling twi'lek before her. "Lyn, did you bathe and feed the princess last night?"

"Yes, my Mistress. This one drew a bath for the Master's new servant. Provided her with succulent fruits. And the princess gave this one the highest praise one could offer."

"What praise was that?" Anij requested.

"The princess expressed that she favored this one's company over that of the Master..." Lyn smiled with extreme satisfaction, and bowed her head further towards the floor. "...my Mistress."

Anij smiled grimly as she briefly glanced back at Leia. "That was certainly a tremendous compliment you offered." She lowered herself down and whispered into her ear. "What do we say, Lyn when someone gives you such praise?"

Lyn raised her head to address Leia directly. "Thank you, Princess."

Leia felt a chill run down her spine. Never in her life had she witnessed such an extreme desire to please one's master as with Lyn. Only droids have ever displayed such loyalty, but only because that was how they were programed. What kind of mental conditioning were these women exposed to, she wondered.

And although Leia had an urge to ask what Lyn was thanking her for, as praise wasn't in itself an act deserved of further commendation. However she decided not to risk causing a conflict, instead simply returning the pleasantry. "Thank you, Lyn... I really enjoyed it."

"Service is its own reward." Anij interrupted, seemingly eager to bring this tour to an end, quickly began her next sentence before Lyn could respond again. "I will be sure to tell Master Jabba of the wonderful service that you've provided Leia, and he will be most pleased."

The twi'lek gasped and smiled enthusiastically, clearly very happy... no Anij's words practically sent a shiver of pleasure throughout Lyn's conditioned mind and body. She then bowed her head again. "Thank you, Mistress. This one is proud to have served."

"You're a good girl."

"Thank-you, Mistress."

Leia could hardly believe her eyes. This kind of behavior wasn't mere brainwashing... Lyn's mind was practically at the mercy of Anij's commands. Whatever she had previously been warned about pertaining to these slaves was absolutely correct. What Jabba had done to these women was beyond horrible.

Anij somewhat rudely turned about and made her way for the door, speaking her final orders to Lyn en route. "You may return to your meditation. Wait here until the Master summons you."

"Yes, Mistress."

Leia didn't have to be told to follow Anij out, as she couldn't stand being there a single moment longer. Sympathetic she was towards whatever mental conditioning Jabba must have subjected them to, she didn't want to be anywhere near those women. It wasn't until both she and Anij were in the hallway with the door closed behind them that Leia finally spoke up. "What in the holy hell was that?!"

Anij wasn't yet ready to answer. Leia didn't realize it at first, but that exchange was in fact very traumatic for the older slave.

Until then she and Anij had only ever faced one another, so it wasn't until then that Leia ever got a glimpse of Anij's back, where a partially obscured tattoo could be seen from underneath the white sashes suspended from her bikini top. Centered between her shoulder blades and just below the collar around her neck, such a mark may have gone completely unnoticed if Leia hadn't recognized the symbol.

In addition there was also a prominent scar that could now be seen over her heart. Until then Leia didn't give much thought to another such scar that she had noticed upon Anij's left breast... had this poor woman been stabbed through the heart?

It was in that brief moment of distraction that Leia extended her arm out with the hope that she could fully uncover the mark, but Anij had sensed Leia's interest and shot herself to face her again. That tattoo actually held a special significance to Anij, and she wouldn't allow anyone to see it. However the Zeltron knew how to disguise such deliberate actions and make them appear natural. "Please just give me a moment" she requested of Leia. "I brought you in there for a reason, and you're no doubt wondering why."

Her attention fully back to the slaves she was just introduced to, Leia was indeed eager for an answer. "What happened to them? That wasn't mere brain washing... those women are practically robots!"

Anij sighed grimly and placed her hands on her hips. "It probably would have been merciful if that were the case, but it's not. Those women are in fact victims of a powerful psychiatric drug called X-14... Master Jabba told me that it can dominate anyone's will within the course of two weeks or less."

Leia wasn't so quick to accept such an explanation. "Impossible. No mere drug could possibly account for all that."

Anij shook her head. "It's not just the drug. X-14 only works to make a victim highly open to suggestion. She must also be subjected to neural stimulation torture and intense brain washing. With all that combined, one can effectively warp a victim's will and twist it into whatever manner one desires."

"I'm sorry... what type of torture?" Leia asked.

"Neural stimulation torture." She answered. "It's when you feed intense pleasure signals into a victim's brain. It's highly addictive, and it's the withdrawal which causes the victim to suffer."

"Frak." Leia cursed.

"I know, it's horrible what they have to endure." Anij took a moment to put the rest of her explanation in order. "I've seen such monstrosities firsthand... it's painful to watch someone you love be twisted so completely against everything they once valued. What's worse is the fact that they can still remember everything about you... love you just as much as they had before the treatment... and yet would kill you if his master ordered it."

Leia could tell that Anij was being completely sincere, and yet this drug sounded to good to be true... for a Hutt that is.

Anij continued. "Fortunately for us X-14 is not without side effects... the drug causes significant neural decay after sustained use, of which greatly shortens a victim's life span and reduces mental function over time. I've never seen a victim of X-14 live past ten years, which is why it's not used on everyone."

"Is there some way to reverse the effects?" Leia asked.

Anij sighed deeply and shrugged her shoulders. "Even if there were, it's not like we can do anything about it. The best we can hope for is to not give Master Jabba a reason to use it on us... which is why I have such concern for Diana. Master Jabba does offer us many more liberties than he does the other slaves, but his patience does have limits. And if Diana proves to be too much trouble, he will find other uses for her... and that's why I want you to be very careful. You may not realize it, princess, but there are many fates far worse than death."

Despite her attempts to comfort the new slave, Anij simply didn't realize who she was talking to. Leia however chose not to instigate a conflict. Anij and the other slaves already had enough torment to deal with, they didn't need one of their own causing yet more conflict. As much as she wanted to shout out as to how much she hated being called 'princess,' she calmly stated. "Please, just call me Leia."


End file.
